Black Lentils Pulav (Black Masoor Dal)

Masoor Pulav reminds me of the days back in gharda colony. Because that was my mom's specialty apart from biryani. Mom was popular for various things; mehnadi drawing for kids. i remember kids use to line up @ our home for applying mehnadi and how proud i felt about her for her patience and a fair deal. she never turned them away, no matter how long it took or how many of them poured in :).
Amongst the older lot she was popular for her biryani, shurkurma, bread rolls, masoor pulav. She was just too good in it.

Thats the receipe from my Mom's kitchen.


Ingredients:

2 cup: Long grain rice (biryani rice)
1 and 1/2 cup: Black Lentils
2: Medium size onion
2: Medium size red tomatoes.
1/2 spoon: ginger garlic paste.
1/4 spoon: garam masala
1/4 spoon : turmeric powder.
1/4 spoon: dhaniya powder.
1/2 spoon: Red chilli powder.
Handful: Coriander and mint.


Method:

1) Pre-soak the black lentils and the rice separately in water for 5 to 6 hours. This process help the rice to cook softer and faster. Even the black lentils will cook faster.
2) Cook the rice separately with jeera, little ghee and sufficient water so that they are cooked non sticky. i.e each rice grain should come out separately.
3) In a vessel (i used a cooker) add some oil and saute the chopped onions till they turn translucent (pinkish). Next add chopped tomatoes and keep sauteing till the raw smell is gone. Add ginger garlic paste and the rest of the ingredients. Keep aside a little of the coriander and mint leaves for garnishing.
4) Now add the black lentils without the water (in which they were soaked). Saute for some time. Add very little water, only sufficient enough for them to cook. Remember if you add more water then the daal will tend to break and become watery which is just not right for pulav.
i cooked the black lentils in the cooker for exactly 3 mins and they turned very much as i wanted. That is they were appropriately cooked and didn't break.
5) In a heavy bottomed vessels arrange the rice and black lentils layer alternately with the bottom most and top most layer being of rice. after each rice layer sprinkle some coriander and mint leaves and a little of ghee.
6) Keep on low flame for 10 min till there is steam till the upper most layer. Remove from heat and serve hot. While serving make sure that you insert the spoon vertical to the length of the vessel so that you get the layers in your dish. :) ENJOY !!