Name: Creamy Black Lentils with Chickpeas and Kidney Beans (Teen Taal Dal)
Yield: Makes 4 cups
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 3 large cloves garlic; 1 to 3 fresh green Thai, cayenne, or serrano chiles, to taste, stems removed; 2 lengthwise slices fresh ginger (each 2 inches long, 1 inch wide, and ⅛ inch thick); 2 tablespoons Ghee or melted butter; ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1½ teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt; ½ cup plain yogurt; ¼ cup heavy (whipping) cream; 1 teaspoon Toasted Cumin-Coriander Blend; 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems for garnishing; ½ cup whole black lentils (sabud urad), picked over for stones; ¼ cup dried chickpeas; 2 fresh or dried bay leaves; 1 cinnamon stick (3 inches long); 2 black, green, or white cardamom pods; 1 small red onion, coarsely chopped; ¼ cup dried red kidney beans

Preparation info

Makes
4 cups

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

660 Curries

By Raghavan Iyer

Published 2008

About

The melody of this teen (three) taal (tune) dal (legume) is pure harmony—its texture creamy-smooth, its flavor sublime. Whole black lentils are naturally velvety when cooked, a smoothness further enhanced by adding yogurt and heavy cream (what’s not to love?), staples in Punjabi kitchens. The first time I made this dal, I consumed massive amounts of it, initially dunking flaky paranthas into it, and then mounding the rest o