Varan Recipe / Maharashtrian Varan / Dal Tadka

      With my little blog entering its second year of culinary journey, I am happy to post a simple dal recipe that is famous in Maharashtrian cuisine prepared specially during Ganesh Chaturthi.

     It was during last year's Ganesh Chathurthi, that I got to taste this simple yet delicious recipe at our friend Rachana's place.. Unlike in India, religious festivals here, in USA are not so spiritfully celebrated as an outstandingly special day. May be because we dont get holidays for our festivals :P and we do not get the festival specific veggies/fruits/decors, every festival lacks that spark and the festive feel is less felt than in India.

A bunch of enthusiastic people here celebrate it on the following weekend inviting friends and families, if a festival falls on a week day. Every occasion is just like a get together with usual hi-bye-hellos and a group lunch/dinner may be with some games if time permits. 

     For Ganesh Chathurthi, I had got invites from two friends for get together. One, on a Saturday for a potluck for which I had prepared sweet kozhukattais and mini boondhi  laddus and the other one on Sunday at Rachana's house for the pooja in the afternoon :)

     It was a bright sunny day, perfect to hang out. Initially, I just thought that it would be a simple meet-up with friends and a luncheon. But they had beautifully adorned a Ganesha idol with garlands, lights and made the ambience so divine with lamps, incense sticks, roses and various neivedhyams. One of the things I liked was, in their custom, everyone is given a chance to show the aarthi to god, irrespective of the age, which I wish we too followed. After the pooja, we had a wonderful lunch with various items from a typical maharashtrian cuisine - Varan, rice, Tindora with cashews :P, mango pachadi, sweets, coconut podi, etc.

Now over to the recipe, with some modifications made to appease my taste buds !! 

Prep Time: 5 mins || Cook Time: 20 mins for dal + 15 mins || Serves: 3 || Category: Rice Accompaniment

Ingredients:

1. Tomato - 1 

2. Green chili - 2

3. Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

4. Curry leaves

5. Ginger - 1 tbsp 

6. Mustard seeds - 2 tsp

7. Hing - 2 tsp

8. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

9. Salt - as required

10. Oil - 2 tbsp

11. Toor dal - 100 to 125 gms pressure cooked

12. Coriander leaves

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds and add in the slit green chili, finely chopped ginger, hing and curry leaves. Add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder and mix well. Saute for 2 mins and then keep covered. Let the tomatoes get cooked till mushy.

2. After the tomatoes have got cooked, add some water and bring it to boil. 

3. Mash the cooked toor dal well. 

4. Add the mashed toor dal to the boiling tomato mixture and stir. Add salt and mix well. Adjust the consistency by adding water accordingly. Bring it to boil and then switch off the flame. 

Suggestions:

• Give a standing time of 15-20 mins after switching off the pressure cooker (for toor dal). Mash the toor dal soon after the cooker is opened after the standing time. It takes less effort to mash the dal when it is hot than doing it later.

Yummy dal tadka / Varan can be had with plain rice or with roti/phulka etc.