Description
Also known as split pigeon pea, red gram, arhar dal or toor dal must be a part of our daily diet because of the following reasons:
- It is rich in protein, fibre, carbohydrates, calcium and iron.
- Boosts energy levels
- Maintains blood pressure
- Reduces cholesterol levels.
- Contains Vitamin C, E, K, B complex
- Contains potassium, manganese, zinc, folic acid
Many of our customers enquire about Tur Dal, as to how to cook it, how long to soak it etc.
For all those questions, please do take some time out of your busy schedule and read the following:
All Lentils/Dals should be soaked for a minimum of 1 Hour and Maximum of 5 Hours. Soaking helps to soften the dal so that it gets cooked faster and also aids in removal of anti-nutrients which interferes with the digestion and assimilation of the protein. Soaking beyond 5 hours triggers fermention and fermented dal will not cook properly.
One need not remove the soaked water from the dal, but needs to remove the suds, which are nothing but the saponins. These saponins are substances which have properties similar to soap. When you boil the Dal, they release chemicals from their tissues. These chemicals, often proteins, leach out as water boils, and the air that is ‘dissolved’ in the water when cold bubbles out, catches the proteins and floats to the surface, forming a foam. If we do not remove the saponins, it creates gastric issues. So a better and easy way is to remove the soaked water and then start cooking with fresh water.
One could definitely cook the dals in a pressure cooker, it’s not a problem as indicated by some of the Desi followers.
