Gala Hua Dal (Cooked Lentils, Peas, and Beans)

Ingredients

Amount		Ingredient	Preparation
1-1/2	cups	lentils, yellow	or red lentils, yellow split peas, or yellow mung beans
1/4	teaspoon	turmeric
4-1/2	cups	water

Directions

1. Pick lentils, peas, or beans clean and wash thoroughly in several changes of water.

2. Put the lentils, peas, or beans in a deep pot along with the tumeric and water. Bring to a boil. (Be careful, they foam a lot.) Stir often to make sure they do not lump together. Cook over medium heat, partially covered, for 40 minutes (25 minutes
for red lentils and mung beans).

Cover, reduce heat, and continue cooking for an additional 20
to 25 minutes (10 minutes for red lentils and mung beans) or
until soft.

3. Turn off heat and measure the puree. There should be 4-1/2
cups puree; if not, add enough water to bring to that quanity.

For a more ground puree, beat lentils, peas, or beans with a
whisk for 3 to 5 minutes.

Cooked dal can be kept for 3 days, refrigerated.

Cooked lentils and beans thicken considerably and become
gelatinous with keeping.

They also reduce in volume considerably.

Therefore remember to make allowance for such evaporation.

My Note: I always end up beating them with a whisk as it
velvetizes the soup.

There is no need to use something like a food processor .

I think it would end up making the ingredients too fine and
would ruin the texture of the soup.

Also, I refrigerated them for both 1 day and then later 2 days
and found that indeed, it did thicken .

I simply put them in a pot and added a cup or two of water and
simmered until I got the consistency I wanted .

thick but with some liquid as this is not meant to be a soup in
which a spoon will stand up.