Dal vegetable, also known as sabzi wali dal, is a staple dish of Indian cuisine which consists of lentils (dal) cooked along with a variety of vegetables, spices and herbs.
This dal dish has a stew like consistency and is rich in taste and aroma. Dal vegetable is a wholesome dish which is a complete meal on its own. It is often accompanied with plain rice and breads and can be eaten at any time of the day.
Method of Preparation and Ingredients Used in Dal vegetable
Ingredients- The ingredients which are mainly used for preparation of Dal vegetable include lentils (dal), mixed vegetables, spices, herbs, oil, or clarified butter.
The lentils which can be used for preparing sabzi waali dal are toor dal, mung dal, chana dal, and masoor dal. Kidney beans are also sometimes included along with the lentils for preparation of Dal vegetable.
The vegetables used in this dal recipe consist of potato, gourd, onion, tomatoes, beans and cauliflower. A variety of spices used to enhance the flavor of Dal vegetable are cumin, bay leaves, asafetida, mustard seeds, powdered coriander, chilies, salt and pepper. Besides, thyme, mint and curry leaves are also used for making this dal dish.
Method of Preparation- For preparation of Dal vegetable, the lentils and kidney beans are soaked in advance. The vegetables are peeled and chopped as per the preference. All the ingredients except curry leaves, cumin and asafetida are put in a cooker and pressure cooked until tender. Once done, the dal is mashed well and a little more water is added. The dal is slow cooked till the desired consistency is achieved. Finally, the flavor is enhanced by adding the tempering of cumin, asafetida and curry leaves to the dish.
Serving Dal vegetable
Dal vegetable can be eaten as a complete meal. If relished as part of meal, the foods that pair well with it include Indian breads (plain roti, ghee roti, naan and lachha paratha). Dal vegetable also tastes best when served with hot steamed rice. The other accompaniments to this dish are pickles, papad and onions dipped in vinegar.
Popular Dal Vegetable Recipes
Low Calorie Dal vegetable- A delicious and healthy lentil preparation done by combining green dal (mung dal) along with vegetables like bottle gourd, onions and tomatoes. The vegetables used in dal vegetables like bottle guard are rich in fiber and do not add much to calories.
Lemony Masoor with Sabji- A tangy and hearty stew made of masoor dal and seasonal vegetables like peas, cauliflower and beans flavored with lemon. This dal is a typical food of people living in parts of Southern India.
Sabz bahaar dal- According to its name, it is a delightful and colorful lentil dish which has a tangy and spicy flavor. Pressure cooked drumsticks, cauliflower, onion, beans, and tomatoes are blended well with cooked toor daal and spices are added accordingly to enhance the flavor of the dish.
