Banarasi Dal Chawal Tamatar Rassedar

Method

1. 1

   Cook the toor dal: Wash 1 cup toor dal. Pressure cook with 3 cups water and 1/2 tsp turmeric for 4 to 5 whistles until completely soft. Open after pressure releases. Mash partially — leave some texture. Keep aside.

2. 2

   Make the tomato puree: Blend 4 large ripe tomatoes in a mixer until completely smooth. A smooth puree gives the rassedar its thin, clean consistency. Keep aside.

3. 3

   Heat ghee and temper: Heat 3 tbsp ghee in a wide pan on medium. Add cumin seeds — wait to crackle. Add bay leaves and asafoetida. Stir 10 seconds.

4. 4

   Add ginger paste: Add ginger paste. Stir for 1 minute.

5. 5

   Add tomato puree: Add the smooth tomato puree. Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes until the puree deepens in colour, thickens slightly and the ghee visibly separates and floats on top. This thorough cooking of the tomato is what makes the rassedar have a clean, cooked tomato flavour rather than a raw, sour one.

6. 6

   Add spice powders: Turn to low heat. Add red chilli powder and coriander powder. Stir 2 minutes on low heat.

7. 7

   Add the cooked dal: Pour the cooked toor dal into the tomato base. Stir well to combine. Add 2 cups water. Mix.

8. 8

   Simmer: Bring to a gentle boil. Simmer on medium-low for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The rassedar should be relatively thin — thinner than a North Indian dal. This thin consistency is its characteristic.

9. 9

   Add garam masala and salt: Add garam masala and salt. Taste. The rassedar should be tangy from the tomato, mildly spiced and savoury. Adjust by adding more tomato puree if not tangy enough, or a tiny pinch of sugar if too sour.

10. 10

    Serve: Ladle over steamed rice. Serve with a small pile of raw onion slices and lemon wedges on the side. In Varanasi, this meal is eaten with ghee poured over the rice before adding the rassedar.

11. 11

    Note: In Varanasi (Banaras) and the surrounding districts of eastern UP, the daily meal of working people is rice with this thin tomato-dal rassedar. It is not found in restaurants outside the region — it is purely a home preparation. The simplicity is deceptive — a good tomato rassedar requires well-ripened tomatoes and the patience to cook the puree until the ghee separates.