Gahat Ki Dal Recipe: Gahat Ki Dal is one such dish which will become your comfort food

Himachal Pradesh has long been an attractive destination for tourists from all over the world who come to experience the mountains and the pleasant cold breeze that is an instant mood lifter. But it is lesser known that Himachal is also home to some delicious food items that are also effective in lightening one's mood.

Gahat Ki Dal is one such dish which will become your comfort food as soon as you try it. This unique dal recipe is made by cooking horse gram dal in a stew prepared of local spices and the curry is then slowly cooked. Himachali or Pahari recipes are known to be cooked slowly to retain the natural nutrients in the ingredients. Though the dal takes a little time to get cooked, the taste is worth the wait.

The recipe uses a local spice like gandharein or angelica glabris, which is a herb used for treating heartburn, flatulence and loss of appetite. This herb gives this dish an authentic Pahari taste.

If you embrace diversity and like bringing something new and different to the table, then you must try this dish. Prepare this dal for your next kitty party, pot luck or buffet and watch your guests be amazed by your culinary skills. Gahat or horse gram dal is known to help with diarrhoea, conjunctivitis, reduce cholesterol levels and even aid weight loss.

As they say, there is no better gift than the gift of good health, prepare this scrumptious dish and present your loved ones with the best of health.

Ingredients of Gahat Ki Dal

4 Servings

4 cup gahat daal

6 cloves garlic

2 teaspoon gandharein

salt as required

3 tablespoon ghee

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

9 cup water

2 inches ginger

3 pieces green chilli

4 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 teaspoon red chilli

1/2 teaspoon asafoetida

1 1/2 tablespoon rice flour

How to make Gahat Ki Dal

Step 1 Soak the dal

To prepare this exotic dish, first clean and wash the gahat dal. Now, soak the dal in water and leave undisturbed for an hour.

Step 2 Pressure cook dal with spices and water

Once done, add the dal in the pressure cooker with salt, turmeric, grated ginger, garlic, red chilli, salt and 6-8 cups of water. Stir well to mix the ingredients. Cover the cooker and cook for 4-5 whistles on low flame. Let the pressure release naturally and the cooker open on its own.

Step 3 Cook rice paste, dal with gandharein for 30 minutes

While the dal cooks, take rice in grinder with 1/2 cup water to prepare a rice paste. Now, transfer the rice paste in a pan with the cooked dal. Add to this gandharein masala and cook for half an hour on medium heat. Stir occasionally and keep mashing the dal.

Step 4 Top with tempering and serve hot

In a pan heat ghee and add cumin seeds with asafoetida for tempering. Saute for a minute or two. Once done remove from the dal from flame and add the tempering with ghee, stir well and serve hot.