Panchmel dal, as the name suggests it is made with 5 different legumes. Toovar(pigeon peas)/Chana(split chickpeas) and split moong dals are used in equal quantities, though some recipes use red lentils too. I didn't have chana dal, so I used masoor dal(split red lentils) for this recipe. In Rajasthan, this dal is poured over baatis ( a preparation made of baked balls of dough), I have posted the recipe for "baati" here.
Dals (or lentils) are a very important source of protein for a vegetarian meal. Most Indian vegetarian menus, will have a lentil curry of some sort. I keep different dals in my pantry and make them alternatively. A picture of some of the dals, I usually have ...(from left to right , chole/chickpeas....soaking in water for dinner, whole green moong, whole black masoor,black eyed peas, whole black urad dal, split moong dal, split masoor dal, rajma/kidney beans, whole urad dal skin removed-- usually use this for dosas/idlis/vadas, matki and ahar dal/pigeon peas...the last one is the most common and used often almost daily. There are few more which I need to re-stock. A few of dals can be sprouted, which increases the nutritional value of the beans. You soak them in water for day, drain out the water, leave the dal in a closed container in a warm place for a day to sprout.
This post is about whole masoor dal. My older son loves non-veg and when he was four, one of my friends +gautami fed him sprouted dal, and he really liked it.......and I wonder how did he like it so much....when he was so fussy at home to eat ....my friend told me....she told him, that it's a mashed prawn dal ...see the tails... and I tricked my kid to eat the same mashed prawn dal for years... :) and it was this whole masoor dal. It is also my son's favorite amongst all dals.
A plain paratha is a perfect accompaniment to this dal with some pickles or yogurt, but I had some mint leaves lying in the fridge which were 3 days old. Brought them to make this mint chutney, but chutney tastes best, if made with fresh leaves, so I thought of adding them to the paratha dough.
