Teliya Mah
Whole black urad dal slow-cooked in mustard oil with minimal tempering, prized in Kangra dham for its deep, oily sheen and earthy flavour.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 90 min
- Total
- 105 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 260 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy handi
- •Wooden ladle
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- fat
- 12 g
- carbs
- 28 g
- fibre
- 8 g
- protein
- 15 g
- calories
- 260 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Drain the soaked urad dal (black gram lentils) and rinse well with water.
- 2
Boil the dal with turmeric and enough water. Cook until just tender but still holding its shape.
- 3
Heat the mustard oil in a heavy handi (deep cooking pot) until it smokes gently. Let it cool slightly.
- 4
Add the cumin seeds, asafoetida, and dried red chilli. Let them sizzle and pop.
- 5
Stir in the ginger paste. Cook it briefly for a few seconds.
- 6
Pour in the boiled dal along with all of its cooking liquid.
- 7
Simmer uncovered on very low heat for an hour, stirring occasionally. Cook until oil floats to the top and dal turns dark and glossy.
- 8
Stir in the salt. Simmer gently for another 10 minutes before serving.
Chef's tips
Slowly simmering the dal in mustard oil instead of a quick tadka (sizzling spice finish) gives this dish its rich taste. Do not rush it.
Ingredient substitutions
- mustard oil → any pungent cold-pressed oil
Storage
Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat gently on low heat with a splash of water.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Overcooking the dal into a mushy paste instead of keeping the grains whole.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Teliya Mah?
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