Pulses are an excellent source of vegetarian protein. Dal is made in daily routine in Indian homes. For us, this is an emotional comfort food which is liked in every season, be it winter, summer or rainy season. Instantly prepared dal is rich in many nutrients apart from protein and every dal has its own benefits. However, it is important that you cook it properly. You might also be cooking lentils in a similar manner, simply washing them and cooking them with basic spices in a pressure cooker. Actually this is not the right way.
Cooking dal is one of the easiest things to cook as it does not require much fuss. With less spices, a little tadka and dal, it is ready. Chef Pankaj Bhadauria has explained how to prepare dal in the right way which is rich in nutrients and taste.
Do this first thing
If after washing the pulses, you put them directly in the pressure cooker to cook, then stop making this mistake from today onwards. Chef Pankaj Bhadauria says that first of all wash the lentils and soak them for 30 minutes.
Why is it necessary to soak pulses?
Actually, when we soak pulses, the phytic acid present in it gets released. These acids prevent the absorption of nutrients like iron, zinc and calcium in your body, hence after soaking the lentils, when you keep them for cooking, drain the water and keep it in new water to cook it.
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Do not put lid directly on
After keeping the pulses to cook, we add spices to it and then cover it with a lid and leave it to cook, whereas this should not be done. Chef Pankaj Bhadauria says to boil the lentils in fresh water and after some time remove the foam that comes up. Actually these are saponins and impurities which hinder the digestion of pulses.
Right time to add spices
The dal has to be cooked for 5 minutes without a lid and all the foam has to be removed with the help of a ladle. After this, add salt, turmeric and other spices and cook the dal in a pressure cooker. After this, your dal will be ready to serve after applying tadka.
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small but useful things
Cooking is not just a daily routine, but it is an art. We get nutrients from food only when the method of cooking it is correct. In this way, if small things are kept in mind while cooking, then not only the food becomes tasty, but it is also more beneficial for our health.