Kareley ki Kathi Daal - Tempered Tamarind Lentils with Fried Bitter Melons
What could be better than Hyderabadi Kathi Daal ('Tempered Tamarind Lentils')? How about Kathi Daal with Kareley (bitter melons)?! Liberally salted with Kosher salt, seasoned with coriander, cumin, chili and turmeric, the bitter melons are shallow-fried to intensify the texture + flavor and then submerged in lentils spiced with a delicate 'Sambar' powder mix, simmered with lots of Tamarind water to create tangy, sour and spicy elements. Finished with crispy fried onions for some sweetness to balance the Tamarind sourness + a unique 'Tadka' with mustard seeds, garlic, red chilis, curry leaves AND the highlight whole spice-Fennel seeds. A fusion Kathi Daal like never before-approved by my toughest critics! A methodically layered preparation so worth the effort and time! Delicious!
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For Lentil Base
- 1 cup Masoor lentils
- 1 cup Toor lentils
- 1 tbsp Canola oil
- 2 Roma tomatoes *roughly chopped
- 2 jalapeños *slit lengthwise and deseeded
- 1 tsp fresh ginger paste
- 1 tsp fresh garlic paste
- 2½ tsp Sambar powder
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 5 cups water
For Tadka
- ⅓ cup Canola oil *same oil used to deep fry onions
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 4 cloves garlic
- 12-14 curry leaves *Kadhi Patha
Other Ingredients
- Canola oil *as needed for shallow frying bitter melons and deep frying onions
- 2 large yellow onions *thinly sliced, deep fried in Canola oil until crispy and golden brown
- 6 bitter melons *bitter gourd vegetable
- 4 oz Tamarind slab *soaked in water. Recipe requires 2 cups Tamarind water. You can store the remaining in fridge.
- 2 tsp coriander powder *coarsely ground
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- ¾ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Kosher salt *or to taste
- 1 handful fresh coriander leaves *coarsely chopped
Instructions
For Tamarind Water
- Soak ½ slab of Tamarind (~4 oz) in cold warm water for two hours. Break Tamarind pieces with hands and squeeze until all pulp is removed. Pour Tamarind water through sieve and discard pieces/residue. Set aside. You can definitely make this in advance and store in fridge or freezer for later use!
For Lentil Preparation
- Soak lentils (both Masoor and Toor) in a large bowl with cold water for about 1 ½ hours.
- Heat a large saucepan or pot with 1 tbsp Canola oil on medium high heat. Add chopped tomatoes, jalapeños and ginger/garlic paste and sauté for 10 minutes, mixing as needed. Turn heat to medium, add Sambar powder seasoning and Kosher salt, continue to mix and sauté for another 5 minutes. Now add rinsed, strained lentils and cook in spices for 4-5 minutes on medium heat, mixing as needed. Add 5 cups cold water, bring to a boil on high heat and then turn heat to medium low and simmer lentils for 35 minutes until completely softened and cooked, stirring occasionally. Pulse lentils with immersion blender to desired consistency. Add 1 cup of Tamarind water, stir to combine, bring lentils to a boil and simmer on low heat for another 15-20 minutes.
For Bitter Melon Preparation
- While lentils are simmering, rinse bitter melons and using a sharp knife, remove some of the outer skin layer. Liberally sprinkle bitter melons with some Kosher salt and place in colander with bowl underneath for approximately 30 minutes or so to remove excess moisture and some of the bitterness. Rinse well, pat dry and cut bitter melons lengthwise and scoop out all seeds (try to keep some of the flesh intact). Slice halved bitter melons and place in mixing bowl. Add spices (coriander, cumin, chili powder, turmeric and Kosher salt) and toss to coat bitter melon pieces. Shallow fry spiced bitter melon pieces in Canola oil: heat large skillet on medium high heat with oil, add pieces and fry for 5-7 minutes, mixing as needed, turn heat to medium low, cover skillet and cook for 15 minutes. Remove fried bitter melons onto a paper towel lined plate to remove all excess oil. Set aside.
For Fried Onions
- In another large skillet, deep fry onions in Canola oil on medium high heat until crispy and golden brown. Remove fried onions onto a paper towel lined plate to remove all excess oil. I use two forks to toss the fried onions until cool and crispy. Set aside ⅓ cup of remaining oil to prepare Tadka.
For Tadka Preparation
- Heat ⅓ cup onion oil in a medium sized frying pan on medium high heat. Once hot, turn heat to medium low, add mustard seeds and fry for 1 minute, swirling pan as needed. Add fennel seeds, fry for another minute, add garlic cloves, fry for another minute, add 6 curry leaves, fry for another minute (there will be a lot of splattering!), swirling pan over heat the entire time. Remove Tadka from heat, turn garlic cloves to brown other side and set Tadka aside.
For Final Layering and Assembly
- While pot of Daal is simmering on low heat, add fried onions + fried bitter melons, add remaining 1 cup of prepared Tamarind water and prepared Tadka. Bring to a boil, mix well to combine all ingredients. Turn off heat. Add 7-8 fresh curry leaves and fresh coriander leaves.
- Comforting, tangy + spicy and delicious Kareley ki Kathi Daal is now ready to serve. Ladle over plain Basmati rice or savor with some Parathas to soak up all the goodness. Enjoy! Nosh Farma'aiye.