How to Cook Dal in Microwave is a skill worth knowing in absence of Pressure Cooker. This blog post discusses step-by-step process to cook Dal in a Microwave Oven in about 30 mins.
There is no food as comforting as a humble meal comprising of Dal Chawal . As they say ‘Best things in life are often simple too’ and Dal Chawal combination qualifies to be a perfect example for this quote.
Often in an Indian household, when someone is trying to learn cooking, Chawal and Dal are taught as part of ‘quick survival guide’. They form a part of elementary cooking that one must learn to survive. I say this with my own experience, as I learnt these recipes from my mother. I can understand the importance of cooking perfect dal rice for a soothing meal.
Today’s world which is dominated by globalization, often people have to transcend boundaries of city, state and country in pursuit of a decent living and cooking a basic meal is a trait that you must possess. Kitchens nowadays have become more equipped with many sophisticated electronic gadgets that makes our lives easier. Devices like expensive food processors, juicers, microwave/convection ovens and even deck ovens can make the entire cooking process joyful and fulfilled, provided you know how to use it.
An oft-heard complaint with a Microwave Oven is how to cook Indian dishes in it. The manual seems to be too complicated and is a harrowing read for many
This is what prompted us to design this Microwave series for our readers/viewers. In this series we intend to help you graduate starting from basic Indian recipes to more advanced dishes in few months. In this blog post, let’s discuss how to make Dal Tadka in Microwave. To make the cooking process simpler we have a associated video embedded below our text recipe. Let’s learn to make perfect Dal Tadka in Microwave.
Wash and drain the Dal under running water and remove its dirt. Soak the Dal in enough water for at least 2 hours. After soaking time, drain the water.
In a Microwave safe bowl, add dal and 2 cups of water for ½ cup of dal.
Add turmeric, asafoetida (½ quantity), and 1 tsp salt. Mix.
Put the bowl in microwave oven and place exactly at the center of glass tray without lid.
Select Mode: Micro, power level: High (for my LG oven its 900 W, check the conversion chart for your oven), timer: 20 minutes and press start.
After 10 minutes, take out the bowl and stir Dal. Keep the bowl inside oven and continue cooking. In last 2 minutes, again take out the bowl and stir the dal. The water must be reduced and dal is almost cooked. Put the bowl again in oven and complete the last 2-minute cooking.
Once the timer ends, remove the bowl from oven and give the standing time of 3 minutes covered.
Prepare the Tadka: Put ghee in MWS bowl, add mustard seeds, asafoetida, cumin seeds, curry leaves, chopped garlic, green chilies and some chopped coriander leaves.
Put the bowl in oven. Select Mode: Micro, power level: High (for my LG oven its 900 W, check the conversion chart for your oven) , timer : 4 minutes and press start.
Mash the boiled dal with masher till it achieves smooth and silky texture.
Adjust salt and ½ cup water to adjust consistency.
Once tadka is ready after 4 minutes, add the mashed dal to it and add remaining coriander. Mix.
Put the bowl with lid inside microwave. Select Mode: Micro, power level: High (for my LG oven its 900 W, check the conversion chart for your oven), timer: 4 minutes and press start.
After 4 minutes’ dal is ready to be served. Serve hot with steamed rice, pickle and papad.
Tip: Soaking dal is most important step in cooking as it reduces the cooking time significantly and helps in saving fuel and electricity.
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 3-4
- ½ Cup=125gms Dal (1/4th Cup Tur Dal and ¼th Cup Moong Dal)
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
- ¼th tsp Asafoetida Powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 Cups Water
- 8-10 Curry Leaves
- ½ tsp Mustard Seeds
- ½ tsp Cumin Seeds
- 3-4 Cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
- 2 Green Chilies (sliced into lengths)
- 2 tbsp Clarified Butter
- ¼th Cup Coriander Leaves (finely chopped)
- Wash Dal under running tap water. Soak it for 2 Hours. After 2 hrs of soaking time drain the water and transfer dal to a microwave safe glass bowl.
- Add 2 Cups of Water, Turmeric Powder, Pinch of Asafoetida Powder and Salt. Mix well.
- Place this bowl in microwave for 20 mins. Place glass bowl at the center of glass turntable tray. Cook uncovered.
- a) Micro Mode
- b) Power Level 900 Watt
- c) Cooking Time: 20 mins
- d) Press Start
- After 10 mins, let's give Dal a stir and cook again for remaining 10 mins.
- After 18 mins, Water gets reduced and Dal is also cooked. Stir and keep it back into the Oven.
- Remove from the Oven. Allow standing time of 3 mins. Keep covered.
- Let's prepare for Tadka/Chounk/Bhagar. Take another microwave glass bowl. Add Ghee, Mustard Seeds, Asafoetida Powder, Cumin Seeds, Curry Leaves, Garlic, Green Chilies, Coriander leaves and mix well.
- Place this bowl in microwave
- a) Micro Mode
- b) Power Level 900 Watt
- c) Cooking Time: 4 mins
- d) Press Start. Note: Cook uncovered
- After 3 mins of standing time, whisk nicely. Whisking imparts a smooth and silk like texture to cooked Dal. Dal has attained a smooth and silky texture.
- Now let's add ½ Cup of water. A bit of Salt (to taste). Now, it's time to mix Dal with Tadka.
- Tadka is ready. Take the bowl out from Microwave. Now pour whisked Dal. Add Coriander leaves.
- Let's cover and cook for a final time
- a) Micro Mode
- b) Power Level 900 Watt
- c) Cooking Time: 4 mins
- d) Press Start. Note: Cook Covered
- Dal is ready. Keep it covered until serving.
- Soaking time has a great significance in Cooking of Dal. Soak Dal for 2 Hours before you cook it in a Microwave. This will reduce the cooking time and cut down on fuel/electricity consumption
Click to watch recipe video
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