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 alot:)



Ingredients
For Dhansak salt
 * 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
 * 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
 * 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

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

For rice

salt
 * 2 tablespoons ghee
 * 1 1/2 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 cardamoms, coarsely crushed

Directions

 * Clean and soak the dals (lentils) in water for 30 minutes.
 * Grind the ginger and garlic and apply the paste to the washed pieces of mutton.
 * Quarter the potato, brinjal and red pumpkin.
 * Chop finely the onion, mint leaves, corriander leaves, fenugreek leaves and green chillies.
 * Heat a tbsp.
 * of oil.
 * Fry the onion till light brown.
 * Add the mutton.
 * Stir.
 * Add all the above ingredients.
 * Add the dals and a little water.
 * Let it cook till the dal and meat are tender.
 * Remove the meat pieces.
 * Mash the dal.
 * Keep aside.
 * Now prepare the seasoning.
 * For this, chop the onion and tomatoes finely.
 * Fry onions till golden brown.
 * Add the ground masala.
 * Fry well.
 * 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.
 * Before serving, add the juice of a lemon and a tsp.
 * of jaggery.
 * Serve the dal (slightly thick) with the brown rice.
 * Now prepare the rice.
 * For this, wash and soak it in water.
 * Slice the onion.
 * Fry it in ghee till light brown.
 * Add cumin and sugar.
 * Fry well till the sugar and onions are fried well.
 * Add the coarsely crushed spices alongwith rice.
 * Fry a little.
 * Add salt and water.
 * Cook, partially covered, till the water has evaporated and rice is cooked.