Sultani Dal (Spicy Pulses)

Sultani Dal (Spicy pulses)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kg arhar dal
• 500 ml milk
• 125 gm cream 
• 250 gm plain curd
• 8 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon cumin
  seeds
• 1 teaspoon saffron
  (soaked in 1-2 tablespoon of hot milk)
• 1/4 teaspoon red
  chili powder
• 2  green chillies
  (chopped)
• 1  betel leaf
• 10 cardamoms
• 6 cloves
• 25 gm Pure ghee
• Salt to taste
• Few mint leaves
  (chopped)
• 1-2 piece burning charcoal

Preparation:

1. Wash the dal and soak it for 10 minutes.
2. Strain the milk, cream and curd through a muslin cloth and keep in a cool place.
3. Grind the cloves and cardamoms to a paste. 
4. Cut fine slivers of garlic for "baghar". 
5. Boil the dal in a pressure cooker with salt, chili powder and cups of water. (The quantity of water should be such that there is no surplus of it after the dal is done). 
6. Cover and cook on slow flame till the dal is done. 
7. Drain off extra water and mash the dal thoroughly with a heavy ladle to a smooth consistency. 
8. Place a betel leaf on the dal and put a small piece of live charcoal on it. 
9. Pour 1 teaspoon of pure ghee and immediately cover and keep for 10 minutes for
   "dhungar"
10. Add the strained cream  and the clove-cardamom paste, saffron mixture
    and blend well.
11. Then cover and simmer on a very slow flame for 5 minutes or to desired consistency. 
12. For the "baghar", heat the remaining ghee in a small metal bowl
    , sauté the cumin seeds and chopped garlic, as it turns to a pink colour, immerse in the utensil containing the dal and cover immediately. 
13. Stir lightly and turn off the gas.
14. Garnished with the chopped green chilies and mint leaves and serve hot
    with Plain
    rice.