Easiest Dal Recipe for the Lazy Cook

I tried searching the length and breadth of the Internet for a quick and easy dal recipe tuned for the beginner or lazy cook who doesn't have a lot of time and interest towards the kitchen (bachelors, students, etc.) and couldn't find one, so I'm writing it myself.

After some experimentation, I've come to the conclusion that the easiest way of cooking dal is to simply add water to it and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. The easiest dal preparation is the one without the Tadka or tempering.

Granted that tempering adds a little bit of extra taste (in the form of tempered spices, veggies, etc.) but the extra time and effort simply isn't worth it. Especially if you're someone who doesn't fret about taste, you'll find that the simple and pressure-cooked dal can also be made remarkably tastier only if you add a little bit of salt and Hing (asafoetida) to the mix!

The Ingredients (Serves One)

• 0.5 cup toor dal soaked for 1-2 hours (you may alternatively use masoor dal also)
• 0.5 cup water.
• 0.5 tsp asafoetida.
• Salt to taste.

The Method

Just take a pressure cooker and add toor dal and water to it. Sprinkle the salt and asafoetida to the mix. Pressure cook until 2-3 whistles.

That's it. After allowing the cooker to cool down for 10-15 minutes, just take out the tasty dal and enjoy it! Optionally, you may garnish it with some coriander before serving.

To make it slightly more spicy or tasty, also add some garam masala and/or pepper powder to the mix before pressure cooking.