Dali Thoy ( Split Pigeon Pea Lentil Soup)

A konkani ( Gowda Saraswat Brahmin) meal is incomplete without Dali Thoy. Dali Thoy is something you cannot live without! It is a comfort food for us. Dali Thoy is what we come back to after traveling and tasting the world! Only konkanis know how to eat Dali Thoy with their hand. We are known for slurping dalithoy all by itself. Ahh the taste of well made dalithoy! The secret to good dalithoy is making sure that the dal is homogenous,the right amount of spice level and of course the tantalizing aroma of hing. My husband likes the tanginess of lime juice while I like mine without. I must mention though that my husband makes the best Dali thoy !Here is the recipe for my Dali Thoy.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

Tur dal (Split Pegion peas): 1 cup( washed and rinsed)
Water: 3 cups
Green chillies: 2 slit
Salt: 1 tsp
Cooking oil:1 tsp( I use coconut oil)
Mustard: 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
Asofoetida: a pinch if using powder, 1/2 tsp if using solution.
Lemon juice: 1 tsp ( optional)

Method:

Cook one cup dal with 3 cups water and slit green chillies  in a pressure cooker.

It takes around 8 whistles on medium heat or 20 mins after first whistle on low heat. The bottom line is when done, the lentil has to be well cooked.

Now add the salt in and with a whisk blend the cooked lentil until homogeneous.

Add a little more water to dilute it if needed. Place it on the stove and bring it to a boil. Turn off the stove.

Tempering:
Heat oil in a small frying pan/ skillet on low flame.Add mustard seeds.Once the mustard seeds splutter, turn off the stove, add  the curry leaves and hing (asofoetida)powder. Mix this into the lentil. If using hing ( asofoetida) solution, mix it directly into the lentil/ dal after the whisking is done.

Squeeze lime juice ( optional).

Serve hot with steaming hot white rice .
(If you are a konkani like me, serve on a plate and slurp it with a spoon/ hand :)))!)

Cooking made easy:

My mother always said that lentils/ legumes cook well and faster when you don't add salt during the cooking process. Salt should be added after the lentil/ legumes are cooked and before the tempering process.

Tip of healthy living:

Dal ( lentil) is an integral part of Indian meals. They are a rich source of much needed protein and are complimented at each meal with either rice or roti( flat bread) which are carbohydrate sources. This when combined with a vegetable becomes a complete balanced meal. All the traditional combinations of carbohydrate and lentil/ legumes are now found to compliment the amino acids that are lacking in one but present in the other food group.

Food for Thought:

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without  accepting it. Aristotle