102 JANUARY 2021
Tadka Dal with Roti
PHOTO P. 94
TOTAL 1 HR 30 MIN; SERVES 6 TO 8
Briefly heating spices and dried chiles in
oil or ghee allows their flavors to bloom,
creating a flavorful tadka that serves as
the backbone of this dish. It also adds a
crispy, spicy finish to the creamy mixture
of mung beans, lentils, and pigeon peas.
TADKA DAL
3 /^4 cup dried moong dal (split yellow
mung beans) (about 5^1 / 2 oz.)
3 / 4 cup dried masoor dal (split red
lentils) (about 5 oz.)
3 /^4 cup dried toor dal (split pigeon
peas) (about 5^3 / 4 oz.)
21 / 2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
11 / 2 tsp. ground turmeric
6 to 7 cups water, divided
11 /^2 Tbsp. canola oil
4 green cardamom pods, crushed,
shells discarded
4 whole cloves
11 / 4 tsp. cumin seeds
1 medium-size yellow onion, finely
chopped (about 2 cups)
2 medium-size fresh serrano chiles,
stemmed, seeded if desired, and
finely chopped (about 2^1 / 2 Tbsp.)
1 medium tomato, chopped (about 1
cup)
1 /^4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro,
plus more for garnish
ROTI
2 cups atta (Indian whole-wheat
flour) (about 8^5 / 8 oz.), plus more for
dusting
3 / 4 to 1 cup water, divided
3 / 4 tsp. kosher salt
Melted ghee, for brushing
TA D K A
3 Tbsp. ghee
3 small dried chiles (such as Diaspora
Co. Whole Sannam Chillies), or
more to taste
1 tsp. cumin seeds
- Begin the tadka dal: Stir together
moong dal, masoor dal, toor dal, salt, tur-
meric, and 6 cups water in a large sauce-
pan; bring to a boil over medium-high.
Reduce heat to medium-low; partially
cover, and cook, stirring occasionally,
until dal is soft and tender, 35 to 40 min-
utes. Add up to remaining 1 cup water,^1 / 4
cup at a time, until desired thickness and
consistency is reached.
- While dal mixture cooks, begin the
roti: Stir together atta,^3 / 4 cup water, and
salt in a medium bowl. Knead mixture
in bowl until all dry flour is incorporated,
adding remaining^1 / 4 cup water, 1
tablespoon at a time, if needed to incor-
porate flour. Transfer dough to a clean
work surface; knead until stretchy and
slightly sticky, 5 to 7 minutes. Shape
dough into a ball, and return to bowl.
Cover with a clean towel; let stand at
room temperature until dough is smooth
and matte, about 30 minutes.
- Continue making the tadka dal: Heat
oil in a medium-size heavy-bottomed
saucepan over medium. Add cardamom,
cloves, and cumin; cook, stirring con-
stantly, until fragrant, 30 to 45 seconds.
Add onion and serrano chiles; cook, stir-
ring often, until onion is lightly browned
around edges, 5 to 8 minutes. Add
tomato; cook, stirring often, until tomato
begins to break down, 2 to 4 minutes.
Remove from heat. Add tomato mixture
and cilantro to dal mixture; stir to com-
bine. Season to taste with salt. Cover and
keep warm over low.
- Make the roti: Once roti dough has
rested, turn out onto a work surface lightly
dusted with atta. Divide dough evenly into
16 pieces (about 1 ounce each). Working
with 1 dough piece at a time and keeping
remaining pieces covered with a towel,
shape dough into a ball. Dust ball thor-
oughly with atta, and flatten slightly. Using
a rolling pin, roll dough into a circle until
uniformly thin and about 6 inches in diam-
eter. Rotate the disk 90 degrees after each
roll, flipping and dusting with atta occa-
sionally to make a perfect circle. Repeat
with remaining dough pieces.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over
high. Place 1 roti round in skillet; cook
until bubbles start to form and bottom
is speckled with brown spots, 30 to 45
seconds. Flip roti using tongs; cook until it
puffs up completely and is evenly cooked
on both sides, 30 to 45 seconds. (Small
charred spots are delicious and totally
OK.) If roti doesn’t completely puff up, pat
the top using a clean towel to encourage
it to inflate. Remove roti from skillet, and
brush both sides lightly with melted ghee;
transfer to a serving plate. Repeat pro-
cess with remaining roti rounds and ghee.
- Just before serving, make the tadka:
In a small skillet, heat ghee over medium-
high. Add dried chiles and cumin to pan;
cook, stirring occasionally, until cumin is
toasted and fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Divide dal mixture among bowls, and
drizzle each portion with desired amount
of warm tadka. Sprinkle with additional
cilantro, and serve alongside hot roti.
—ANTARA SINHA
MAKE AHEAD Dal can be prepared
through step 1 up to 2 days ahead and
stored in an airtight container in
refrigerator.
NOTE Find atta at South Asian grocery
stores or online.
Yayla Çorbası (Turkish Yogurt
Soup) with Velibah
PHOTO P. 95
ACTIVE 1 HR 45 MIN; TOTAL 2 HR
SERVES 8 TO 10
Typically paired with pide bread, this Turk-
ish soup of yogurt, barley, and dried mint
is perfect with buttery-crisp velibah
stuffed with feta and potato.
VELIBAH FILLING
4 cups water
1 Tbsp. plus^1 / 4 tsp. kosher salt,
divided, plus more to taste
1 small russet potato, peeled and cut
into 1-inch pieces (about 1^1 /^4 cups)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 /^4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
11 /^2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled into
small pieces (about^1 / 3 cup)
1 / 4 tsp. black pepper
1 / 4 tsp. crushed red pepper
SOUP
6 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
1 cup uncooked pearl barley (about 7
oz.)
1 cup drained and rinsed canned
chickpeas
32 oz. plain whole-milk yogurt (about
31 / 2 cups)
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 large egg yolks
2 cups cold water
Kosher salt, to taste
Dried mint leaves and black Urfa
biber (Urfa pepper), for garnish
VELIBAH DOUGH
11 / 4 cups whole milk, warmed
1 / 4 cup warm water
1 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1 (^1 / 4 -oz.) envelope active dry yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour (about 17
oz.), divided, plus more for work
surface
1 tsp. kosher salt
3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 3
pieces, divided
3 / 4 tsp. flaky sea salt, divided
- Make the velibah filling: Bring 4 cups
water to a boil in a small saucepan over
medium-high. Stir in 1 tablespoon kosher
salt. Add potato pieces; boil, uncovered,
until fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Drain;
transfer potato to a small bowl. Mash with
a potato masher or fork until smooth.
- Heat oil in a large (12-inch) stainless
steel skillet over medium-low. Add onion;
cook, stirring often, until just beginning
to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add onion to
mashed potato in bowl; stir in feta, black
