Motorshutir Daal/ Koraishutir Daal
My days have been crazily busy for the past five to six weeks. Due to the ongoing lockdown and post lockdown schedule in Israel, office work has moved to the weekends. As I hastily enter the kitchen to prepare our day’s meal, my 3 yrs old comes to me 𝑀𝑎𝑎 𝑎𝑚𝑖 𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝 𝑘𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑜? (Shall I help you). I gently kissed his forehead and asked 𝑇𝑢𝑚𝑖 𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑦 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝 𝑘𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑒? (Do you want to help me). He eagerly says 𝐻𝑚𝑚 (Yes). 𝐴𝑐ℎℎ𝑎 𝑡𝑢𝑚𝑖 𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑦 𝑚𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑢𝑡𝑖 𝑐ℎℎ𝑢𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑜.(Help me shell these peas). Look how he shells the peas, carefully collecting the pearls in a bowl and occasionally popping one or two in his mouth. His utmost effort to help his mother.These innocent days of childhood are the best days of life. Isn’t it?
Motorshutir Daal is a winter preparation, when sweeter produce of pea is available. But frozen peas being available all year round these days, you can prepare motorshutir daal any day of the year. Also, if you are planning to store peas now till the next winter arrives, it can be done easily. In a pot, bring water to boil. To this boiling water, drop the shelled peas and let them sit in this water for 1 minute. After 1 minute, drain the water from the peas and wash them under cold water. Put them in a zip lock bag and throw them in the freezer. They can be stored in the freezer this way for about a year.
Motorshutir Daal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Bengali (Indian)
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Servings: 5-6
Ingredients
- 3 cups of peas fresh or frozen
- 1″ of cinnamon stick
- 3-4 cardamom pods
- 5-6 cloves
- 2-3 bay leaves
- A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- 2 whole red chilies
- 2 tablespoons of ghee
- 1 tablespoon of oil
- 1 teaspoon of cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon of red chili powder (or as needed)
- 1/2 cup of well beaten yogurt
- 1 teaspoon of Bengali garam masala powder
- Salt to taste
Directions
- Heat oil in a kadai. Temper the oil with cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, cloves, dry red chilies, bay leaves and asafoetida.
- Add the peas to the kadai, followed by cumin powder and salt.
- Continue cooking till you see oil leaving the sides of the pan.
- Add the beaten yogurt to the kadai stirring continuously.
- Add about 1 1/2 cups of water to the kadai. Cover and cook the peas till they are cooked completely.
- With your ladle, smash the cooked peas to form a daal like consistency. I have used a hand blender in the kadai itself to mash the peas.
- Let the daal simmer for about 3-5 minutes.
- Add garam masala powder and ghee to the kadai and turn off the flame.
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