Salt to taste (not needed if already added in paste.)
FOR LENTIL
1cupSplit pigeon pea(toor or arhar daal)
1teaspoonsalt
½teaspooncumin seed
½teaspoonturmeric
FOR RICE
2½cupslong grain basmati riceabout 560 grams
3tablespoonsaltor more
Whole spices
¾teaspooncumin seed
2inchcinnamon
8black pepper
3cloves
4green cardamom
2black cardamom
other
½cupoil
1mediumonionfry onion for garnish
FOR LENTIL and LAMB CURRY
4mediumonionssliced
Spices and herbs
4twigs curry leaves
4thickgreen chillies
½tablespooncoriander powder
1star anise
1teaspooncumin
½teaspoonblack pepper
5cloves
Other
3 mediumtomatoespureed
Assembling
⅓cupyogurt
4tablespoonchopped corriander
3green chillies slitted
¼teaspoonyellow color mixed in ¼ cup water
PALIDU
3tablespoonoil
1mediumonion
1 mediumtomato
spices
½tablespoongreen chilli paste
½tablespoonginger garlic paste
½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
½teaspooncumin
½teaspoonturmeric powder
½teaspoonred chilli powder
4twigs ofcurry leaves
other
6tablespoongram flour
2-3tablespoontamarind pulp dissolved in water
½ bottle gourd or drumstick vegetablepeeled and cut to chunks
4tablespoon chopped corriander
Instructions
For Mutton
Boil meat with green chilli, ginger garlic paste, salt and water on medium-low heat for 30 minutes or until meat is tender. Set aside. (You can also pressure cook the meat)
For lentil
Wash and soak tuvar daal for 20 minutes in 4 cups of water.
Add salt, cumin and turmeric to soaked daal and boil for 10-15 minutes until soft and fully cooked but not mushy. (Lentil grain meshes completely when press between thumb and finger without any hard or undercooked bit.)
Strain the lentil in a colander with a pot underneath. Set the lentils aside and save the lentil water for Palidu.
For Rice:
Soak rice for 20 minutes, set aside.
Fill ¾ of a large pot with water, add salt and whole spices. Bring water to boil and add the soaked rice. Boil rice until 70% cooked it is on 2 kaani Chawal stage). Drain the rice water and set aside.
Simultaneously, In a large vessel heat oil and fry 1 sliced onion until golden. Remove from oil and set aside for garnish.
For Lentil Curry
In same vessel, fry remaining 4 onions until light golden. Add the spice and give it a stir. Then add the tomatoes and let it cook until tomato water dries and oil separates on the sides of the pan.
Add the meat along water to the tomato gravy. Dry out any excess water by cooking on high heat. (See notes 1)
Add the boiled lentil and cover the pot. Let the gravy simmer for 5 minutes. If gravy is too dry add a little water. (We want thick gravy but not dry.)
Assembling
Heat a piece of charcoal on direct flame until red hot.
Add 2 tablespoon of oil at the bottom of pot. Then layer ⅔ of cooked rice. Layer the lentil and lamd curry. Next add the herb, whipped yogurt, chillies and ½ of fried onion.
Finally, layer the remaining rice and cover with remaining fried onion and yellow color water.
Keep a steel bowl or foil on the rice. Place the red hot charcoal carefully over the rice. Drizzle few drops of oil over coal an cover the pot tightly.
Dum Stage
Cook daal Chawal for 20 minutes on low heat. (You’ll see a thick steam rising from pot when lid is removed and rice grain will be puffed up too.)
Palidu
Heat oil and fry sliced onion until lightly golden. Add the spices and give it a stir. Cook for 2 minutes and add the gram flour.
The flour will make the gravy thick and difficult to mix. Reduce heat and sauté for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
Add the lentil water and mix well until smooth. Add the bottle gourd and 1 cup water or more as needed for a required consistency. Cover the pot. Let the Palidu boil until bottle gourd is tender.
Now, add tamarind paste and adjust salt as needed and simmer the palidu for 15 minutes on very low heat. Stir in chopped corriander and serve.
Notes
Serving Suggestion: Enjoy Daal Chawal Palidu with daal popadums and mango chutney.