Dal…Delhi…Dill(means heart in Hindi)…Dinning…Dawat (means party in Hindi)

DAL—NEW DELHI FOOD FOR NORTH INDIA---NEW DELHI DAL….

You know Dal so important part of New Delhi that its taste effects family life, its price effects economy and politics and its presentation and cooking makes even street vendor fear full.

So Dal is integral part of New Delhi.

 This month of August, so here I am writing on Dal, as we celebrate our Independence Day on 15^th August every year, witnessed Yoga Guru’s society and political change movement, Muslim festival EID and Hindu festival Raksha Bhandan.

Still I say I am all right to write on Dal.

Romantically good Dal can win hearts of anyone. Good Dal for me makes best family friends where I go for dinner

Dal…Delhi…Dill(means heart in Hindi)…Dinning…Dawat (means party in Hindi)

Dal, curry of thoughts, protein, energy, vegetarian and full meal for every poor and rich citizen of New Delhi, oh no full whole nation, India.

Any type of pulses prices affects the politics of not only New Delhi, but whole nation. So you can understand the importance of pulses in our society, politics and health.

Going into it is business, you will be shocked and get informed that 99% of Dal and daily fresh vegetable business is unaccounted.

Dal from farmers to mill those process the Dal are non-accounted and we can find most of the rich without any listed equity based business houses. Trading of Dal is among the oldest business of mankind. Here we have silk route from where Asia, China and Europe get connected for Dal, spices and silk.

So Dal is very important part of India, which normally have base in New Delhi in terms of food lovers, traders and restaurants.

Yellow, black white and brown colored pulses have different Indian names like Ahrar, Malka, Massor  etc. But yellow and black massor Dal is the most commonly used and served both at home and hotels.

You know you can cook Dal in 5 minutes with pressure cooker and for fine dines and exclusive taste chefs and home cook says it for 24 hours in low heat on charcoal or wood heat in food grade brass pan.

COMMON NAMES OF DAL

1-YELLOW DAL 2-DAL THARKA(Tossed Dal with herbs and heavy Indian butter or oil)

3-DAL MAKAHNI(Buttered) 4-DAL WITH KIDNEY BEANS

5-MIX DAL

Dedicated dal lovers like me normally try to soak Yellow and black Dal with Kidney beans for 10-15 hours before start cooking. After boiling in pressure cooker with make cashew nut paste and sallow fry it with lot of heavy Indian pure oil. We call it Dal Makahni, means Dal with butter and chesses. This is the Dal, which means

Dal is curry made with available pulses, seasoning, spices and water. Boiled and than tossed with onion, garlic, ginger and spices. Easiest cooking menu which is done in almost every household in India. Its taste normally depends upon the water content and spices we add. Same Dal seeds taste varies within 20 kilometer of distance within whole nation. Seasoning or adding salt content counts a lot into taste.

We can get Dal in many forms and very low price to high price, means you can get Dal for 25 $cent or INR 20 TO 2$or 110INR/ one portion or for one person. In five star hotel and restaurants we get medium portion of Dal for $10 OR INR 550 to $50 or INR 2700 depending upon reputation of the place.

After long time a try to keep my emotion on food, as you know August is humid month of the year here in New Delhi. Apart from hot and dry season we had some political rallies those keep my mind occupied. Also this month we normally keep rains cooling town temperature but this year less rains kept food mood out. You know normally during rainy season as per priest of Hindus, it is advised not have non vegetarians food and food from out side homes during rainy season food is normally contaminated with rain water and humid season, it is not a present day advise, it has been written in our holy books those are supposed to be 2000 year old.

So here rationally we have some good advice to keep our self healthy.  

BEST PLACES FOR DAL IN NEW DELHI

All five star hotel in New Delhi serve Dal of all types which I have mentioned but problem is they charge like rocket fare means USD 15 TO 70,where as you can get good dal for 3-5USDin any fine dine small restaurants. Yes to pay more once in the blue moon is fine, once I tried Dal for INR 2000, means USD 40.

BOKHARO, TAJ, MERIDIEAN, OBERIOS AND LEELA in central and South Delhi are best five star hotels to have Dal.

Fine Dine Restaurants

1-Pandara road, Central Delhi, I don’t want to name it but all are good.

2-Moets in Defense colony

3-Punjabis road side Dhaba outside main Lajpat Nagar market

4-Punjabi by nature in Vasant Vihar

5-All cooperative clubs like NSIC,VASANT VIHAR etc

STREET SHOPS THOSE HAVE HYGENIC SPACE-

Normally every part of city had one street vendor or small take away joint serving Dal, we need to consult local resident, as at my locality I have some small vendors those butter fry Dal in front of me and charge USD 1.5 OR INR 80/ for 2 portion of Dal.

Some time I try in afternoon vendor at that time he had opened the shop and seems bit cleaner than evening and he charges onlyUSD0.90 INR 40 for good 2 portion of Dal. So it is matter of choice and quality. Money does not matter as long as you need to enjoy taste of particular day.

1-In front of New Delhi railway station

2-By lanes of Phar Ganj, Karol Bagh etc

You know we can have a really good Dal and Roti, Indian bread cook book with reviews of New Delhi restaurants. It will take time for me to work on this but I think we can do some 100 pages book on that topic that is good for all Indians and those travelling New Delhi for first time.

Any type of pulses prices affects the politics of not only New Delhi, but whole nation. So you can understand the importance of pulses in our society, politics and health.

Going into it is business, you will be shocked and get informed that 99% of Dal and daily fresh vegetable business is unaccounted.

Dal from farmers to mill those process the Dal are non accounted and we can find most of the rich without any listed equity based business houses. Trading of Dal is among the oldest business of mankind. Here we have silk route from where Asia, China and Europe get connected for Dal, spices and silk.

So Dal is very important part of India, which normally have base in New Delhi in terms of food lovers, traders and restaurants.

So here I am writing on Dal, as we celebrate our Independence Day on 15^th August every year.

  A day where British colonial regime liberated us and donated back our nation to most manipulated politicians.

No no I am not political writer

So read about food….

Shailesh Sharma Pokhriyal

11-18^th August 2012

In my house and restaurants as I am not allowed to eat non veg for last one month so I tried Dal in different forms and places.