How much time does dal take to cook?

Have you ever had such a situation? The dry-fried dal cooked by the elders in the family are super soft, glutinous, sweet and delicious. When you make them yourself, there are all kinds of problems. Sometimes they are even undercooked. After continuous attempts, I finally calculated the "cooking time of dried dal". Come and have a look!

Cooking time of dried dal

The cooking time of dried dal will be affected by the cooking method.

First of all, no matter what kind of pot is used to cook dried dal, the dried dal need to be soaked for 3 - 4 hours before cooking to make them soft. After the dried dal fully absorb water, they will be easier to be cooked.

If you use an ordinary pot to boil, then put it in cold water. After the water boils, continue to boil for about 20 - 30 minutes. But note that the specific time depends on the size and quantity of dried dal.

If you use a pressure cooker to cook dried dal, the required time will be greatly shortened. After the soaked dried dal are steamed in the pressure cooker, it will be almost cooked after boiling for about 10 - 15 minutes.

If you stir-fry dried dal, you need to blanch the soaked dried dal for 3 - 5 minutes first. After taking them out and draining the water, then stir-fry. The stir-frying process takes about 10 - 15 minutes. During this period, keep stirring to make it heated evenly to ensure that it is completely cooked.

How do you know when dal is cooked?

dal can be judged whether they are cooked through the following methods:

First of all, you can judge by appearance. The color of cooked dal will become darker and they will also become plump. While uncooked dal are shriveled.

Secondly, you can pick up dal with chopsticks. The texture of cooked dal is soft and glutinous. They can be easily broken when picked up with chopsticks. If dal are not cooked, they will be hard when picked up with chopsticks.

You can also judge by tasting dal. When dal are almost cooked, take a little and put it in your mouth. The taste of cooked dal is soft and tender without that stiff feeling.

Finally, you can make a rough judgment by cooking time. You can operate according to the normal cooking time I mentioned before, and basically they are almost cooked.

How do you soften dal quickly?

Soak in advance

This is the best way. Take out the dal in advance and soak them in clear water. The soaking time is about 3 - 4 hours. After the dal fully absorb water, they will be easily cooked.

Note that it is best not to use hot water when soaking, as hot water may cause the loss of nutrients in dal.

Blanch

If you are in a hurry, you can choose to blanch dal with hot water to quickly soften them. The method is very simple. Just put the soaked dal into boiling water and blanch for 2 - 3 minutes. This can not only remove the astringency of dal, but also make them more soft and glutinous.

Add acidic ingredients

You can also add some acidic ingredients such as lemon juice, vinegar or tomatoes when stewing dal. The acidic components in acidic ingredients can help dal soften faster.

How long to cook toor dal on stove top?

The time it takes to cook dal on the stove depends on the actual situation of dal.

Under normal circumstances, if it is fresh dal, it will be almost cooked after boiling for only 10 - 15 minutes. Remember to stir during the cooking process to make the dal heated evenly.

If it is dried dal, because the texture is relatively hard, it will take longer. Before cooking, it needs to be soaked for 3 - 4 hours. After the water boils, it usually takes 20 - 30 minutes.

Tip

The size, variety and quantity of dal will affect the actual cooking time required. During the cooking process, you can pick out one and taste it. If it is soft and tender without a hard core, it means it is cooked.

The nutritional value of dal

Protein

dal are a source of high-quality vegetable protein. About 8 grams of protein are contained in every 100 grams of dal, which helps maintain the normal functions of body tissues and organs.

Carbohydrates

dal contain slowly digested starches and soluble fibers. About 20 grams of carbohydrates are contained in every 100 grams of dal, providing energy for the body.

Vitamins

dal are rich in vitamins B and folic acid. About 0.6 milligrams of folic acid are contained in every 100 grams of dal, which helps prevent neural tube defects in fetuses.

Minerals

dal are rich in minerals such as iron, manganese, magnesium, potassium and zinc, which are crucial for maintaining the functions of various body systems.

How to store dal?

How to store dal depends on whether dal are dry or fresh.

1. If it is fresh dal, you can put them in plastic bags or fresh-keeping bags, try to expel the air as much as possible, tie the bag tightly, and put it in the refrigerator compartment. In this way, it can be stored for 3 - 5 days.

But note that before storing fresh dal, you need to pick out the damaged or worm-eaten dal to avoid affecting the storage of other dal.

2. If you want to store fresh dal for a longer time, you can wash the fresh dal first, blanch them, drain the water, divide them into small portions and put them in fresh-keeping bags or fresh-keeping boxes, and then put them in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator. They can be stored for several months.

3. If it is dried dal, the storage is relatively simple. Just pack the dried dal in fresh-keeping bags and store them in a dry and ventilated place. In a dry environment, dried dal can be stored for about a year.