Dhansak with Brown Rice

Description
From today's "Thursday" magazine; this is the winning recipe of the week. It is a spicy hot yet almost sweet and sour curry, which comprises wither mutton or chicken combined with lentils. It is originally a Persian dish. My dad loves this dish a lot :)

Dhansak

 * 1 cup tuvar dal
 * 1 tablespoon masoor dal
 * 1 tablespoon yellow moong dal
 * 1 tablespoon val dal
 * 500 g mutton
 * 120 g red pumpkin
 * 1 large potato
 * 1 large onion
 * 1 medium brinjal
 * 2 bunches fenugreek leaves
 * 3 – 5 mint leaves
 * 3 – 4 coriander leaves
 * 2 green chilies
 * 1 piece ginger
 * 6 – 8 cloves garlic
 * 1 tablespoon oil
 * 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
 * 1 teaspoon curry powder
 * 1 teaspoon coriander or cumin powder
 * ½ teaspoon black pepper
 * ½ teaspoon red chili powder
 * salt

Seasoning

 * 1 onion
 * 2 tomatoes, peeled
 * 6 cloves garlic, ground
 * 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
 * 3 red chilies
 * 4 cloves, powdered
 * 6 peppercorns
 * 4 cardamons
 * 2 cinnamon sticks
 * 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
 * 1 teaspoon sambhar powder
 * 1 teaspoon coriander or cumin powder
 * 2 teaspoons dhansak masala
 * 1 tablespoon ghee

Rice

 * 2 tablespoons ghee
 * 1½ cups basmati rice, washed and soaked in water
 * 1 onion, sliced and fried in ghee till light brown
 * 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
 * 3 cups water
 * 2 teaspoons sugar
 * 3 cloves, coarsely crushed
 * 3 cinnamon sticks, coarsely crushed
 * 4 black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
 * 3 cardamons, coarsely crushed
 * salt

Directions

 * 1) Clean and soak the dals (lentils) in water for 30 minutes.
 * 2) Grind the ginger and garlic and apply the paste to the washed pieces of mutton.
 * 3) Quarter the potato, brinjal and red pumpkin.
 * 4) Chop finely the onion, mint leaves, coriander leaves, fenugreek leaves and green chillies.
 * 5) Heat a tbsp of oil. Fry the onion till light brown.
 * 6) Add the mutton. Stir.
 * 7) Add all the above ingredients.
 * 8) Add the dals and a little water.
 * 9) Let it cook till the dal and meat are tender. Remove the meat pieces.
 * 10) Mash the dal. Keep aside.

Seasoning

 * 1) For this, chop the onion and tomatoes finely.
 * 2) Fry onions till golden brown.
 * 3) Add the ground masala. Fry well.
 * 4) Add all the powdered spices, tomatoes and lastly add the mashed dal, meat pieces and a little water. Simmer on slow flame till the masalas are well mixed.
 * 5) Before serving, add the juice of a lemon and a tsp of jaggery.
 * 6) Serve the dal (slightly thick) with the brown rice.

Rice

 * 1) For this, wash and soak it in water.
 * 2) Slice the onion.
 * 3) Fry it in ghee till light brown.
 * 4) Add cumin and sugar.
 * 5) Fry well till the sugar and onions are fried well.
 * 6) Add the coarsely crushed spices along with rice.
 * 7) Fry a little.
 * 8) Add salt and water.
 * 9) Cook, partially covered, till the water has evaporated and rice is cooked.