MARKETS : Bombay Spiceland: All About <i> Dal</i>

Bombay Spiceland, 8650 Reseda Blvd . , No. 4-5, Northridge, (818) 701-9383. Open 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Sunday.

Bombay Spiceland, one of the Valley’s best-stocked Indian grocery stores, is a study in no-frills merchandising. It’s warehouse-plain and starkly lit, with bland off-white walls and neat, utilitarian shelves. But customers have been coming here for as long as 11 years because the owners, Jane and Ramzanali Kanji, carry everything you’d need for even the most elaborate Indian meal.

A small produce section in the aisle across from the video rental area (all Indian films) is where they find fresh ingredients such as turmeric root and medicinal neem leaves. On another gondola, running the length of the store, is an enormous selection of dals , the beans and lentils so basic to Indian cooking.

Dried beans and lentils probably seem about as no-frills as ingredients can get, but in the hands of Indian cooks, dals have Cinderella potential. They can be made into crunchy, puffed snacks or cracker-like pappadums . They enrich hearty curries and make cooling salads when mixed with fresh mango and spiced lime juice.

With dals on the menu every day, its easy to see why Indians appreciate their subtle variations. For example, Bombay Spiceland sells many of its dals three ways: whole, split without the skins and split with the skin still on. Indian cooks will assure you that each has its own character. Think of pasta, they say; a simple change in the shape makes a big difference in the taste.

There are a surprising number of different dals grown in India, each with its own characteristics. Along with the many imported dals , Bombay Spiceland also stocks a few domestic ones: kidney beans, black-eyed peas and split peas are all popular with Indian cooks.

In Indian restaurants in our part of the world, unfortunately, dals appear mostly as sad, murky side dishes. This is a shame. At Montana Mercantile in Santa Monica, cooking teacher Neelam Batra always includes at least one dal preparation in her classes. Her easy recipes, which follow, transport dals far beyond their no-frills image.

SHOPPING LIST:

WHOLE DALS

Urad dal: Small, slightly flattened black beans with a creamy white interior. They look a little like lentils but botanically they belong to the bean family. Apart from being cooked as dals usually are--boiled and spiced-- urad dal is also ground with rice to make idlis , the steamed dumplings eaten for breakfast in Southern India, and to make the thin crisp crepes known as dosai . Whole urad dal requires abundant water to cook; use 8 cups of water for 1 1/2 cups dal .

Moth dal: A tiny brown bean that looks just like the chocolate sprinkles used for cake decorating. It comes only in the whole form and in prepared snack items. Moth dal adds a nice texture to a bean salad when mixed with white beans or garbanzos.

Chana dal: One of the most widely used dals is a small brown chick pea with a yellow interior. The beans come either whole or split and skinned. Split chana dal looks rather similar to both yellow split peas and tur dal , so check the label when you’re buying them; these dals are not interchangeable.

Kabli chana: The Hindi word for the familiar large chickpea or garbanzo bean also goes by the Punjabi name chole on package labels. Kabli chana adds texture to biryanis (elaborate rice pilafs) and also gives its name to a Northern cooked dal dish; one version includes mango powder, chili powder and lime juice. Kabli chana dishes are often served with bhatura, a flat grilled bread made with yogurt.

Tur dal: The most popular dal in Southern and Western India, also known as tuvar dal in Bombay and arhar dal in the Punjab. This yellow pea, known as pigeon pea in English, is only sold skinned and split. You see it both plain and rubbed with oil, which discourages insect infestation and gives the dal a sheen and a slightly darker color. In Southern India, tur dal is cooked with vegetables, tamarind and spices to make the sauce-like sambhar that always accompanies pancakes, fritters and dumplings.

Matar dal (also spelled mutter): The familiar split peas used in American split pea soup. There are two kinds, yellow matar dal and green matar dal, and both come either whole or split for boiling. You’ll also see them in snack items for which they were pre-soaked, seasoned and deep-fried.

Mung dal: Known as mung beans in English (often spelled moong on packages), these are moss-green outside with a light yellow interior. They come in two sizes: tiny or medium. The skin-on variety tastes much different from peeled mung dal , and the chewier texture of the whole beans is a nice change from the soft (and quicker-cooking) split ones. You’ll also find mung dal sold spiced and deep-fried in many snack mixes. Mung dal is a popular bean for sprouting in India (and elsewhere in Asia; the classic Chinese restaurant bean sprouts are mung sprouts), and one of the best ways I know to eat them is Neelam’s recipe for Sabut Mung Salad.

Chori: Tiny red beans that look like baby kidney beans. They actually have a different taste and a less mealy texture. Though small, the whole beans require overnight soaking and a longer cooking time than the split beans.

Rajma: In the Punjab these red kidney beans are often mixed whole with whole urad dal and baked together in a slow tandoor for 24 hours. The same result can be achieved with slow stovetop cooking or in a pressure cooker. Indian cooks make many kinds of tarka to add a pungent twist to the plain boiled beans.

Masur dal (also spelled mussoor and masoor): These tiny lentils are a beautiful salmon color when peeled and need only 15 to 20 minutes cooking, whether they are whole or split. Neelam’s Dhuli Mung aur Masur ki Dal is a classic preparation for them. With their light brown coat still on, the whole dal looks like a small version of the usual California lentil. (What Bombay Spiceland calls California dal is the common European and Middle Eastern lentil. It can be substituted for masur dal, although the cooking time will be longer.)

Lobhia: These little beans with their familiar black spot are known in America as black-eyed peas. Like other whole dals, lobhia are often cooked part-way and then simmered with a masala of sauteed onions and seasonings. It’s a technique that keeps the flavorings and beans clear-tasting and balanced.

DAL FLOURS

Urad dal flour: The main ingredient in most papars , the crisp, paper-thin wafers usually known as pappadums in southern India. It is also combined with wheat flour to add extra nutrition to Indian breads. Sometimes a urad dal dough is used to stuff puffed-up puri breads or fried into the Indian cousin of falafel known as vadai .

Besan: A flour made from chana dal . It is called gram flour in England (from gram, the Anglo-Indian word for chickpea) and you might see either name on packages. It’s the major ingredient in an endless array of chips, dumplings and cookies. Cooked with spices and yogurt or buttermilk, it becomes kadhi (also called karhi ). Besan is used to make the batter for pakoras , the fried vegetable fritters for which a recipe follows.

Mung dal flour: Like urad flour, mung flour is used in breads and also in mung laddu , a seasoned fried dumpling eaten with yogurt and dipped into chutney.

SNACK DALS:

From a glass case near the front door, Bombay Spiceland sells half a dozen kinds of chevdas. Don’t dismiss these snacks as Indian junk food; the dals they are made from have plenty of protein, iron and vitamins. A dairy drink such as lassi will increase their protein value. Deep-fried whole dals, nut-like in flavor and flecked with cayenne pepper, are the plainest snacks, but many chevdas mix in assorted shapes made from seasoned besan or rice flour. You’ll also find many pre-packaged chevdas including the skinny, noodle-like sev, and gathia (thick wavy strips of the same besan batter with different seasonings). Kanji says besan bundi (tiny round puffs of besan ) add a delicious crunchy touch to raita .

Papads, papars or pappadums: The familiar cracker-like disks of urad dal that accompany Indian restaurant meals are usually pretty plain, but papads come speckled with various flavorings: crushed black peppercorns, whole cumin seeds, flakes of red pepper and more. Dipped in yogurt, they are delicious. Traditionally they are cooked by deep-frying or roasting over a flame, but Kanji suggests toasting them in a microwave. Purists might be horrified, but I have found this makes the papads come out crisp and savory. Set one or two papads on a paper towel and microwave on HIGH (700 watts) for 1 minute and 20 seconds, a few more seconds if oven wattage is lower. Let them cool slightly before eating.

UTENSILS

Brass sev maker: Over on the back wall with other cooking utensils is a dal- specific implement resembling a peppermill. It presses out besan dough into the sev and gathia shapes mentioned above. Insert the disk of your choice, add the dough and crank until the shapes fall into hot cooking oil.

DAL COOKING TIPS:

* Always wash dals in several changes of water and pick out any stones or malformed seeds.

* Soaking whole dals covered in water overnight helps them to cook more quickly.

* Use 3 to 4 times as much water as beans for whole dals and about 1 3/4 times water for split or skinned dals.

* Cook dals in their soaking water (if soaked). Add a little dry turmeric and salt. Bring them to a boil, then simmer with the lid off until any foam subsides. Continue to cook with the lid slightly ajar.

* Add more water if they seem terribly dry. Cook until they are completely tender if you are flavoring with a tarka, or until they are almost cooked if you are adding them to a masala to finish cooking.

* Dals have different cooking times and are not usually interchangeable in recipes.

Tarka, also called baghar or chaunk: “The tarka, “ Madhur Jaffrey says, “does to the dal what a rouille does to a fish soup in Southern France--it makes it come alive.” A tarka is a sautee of onion, and sometimes ginger or garlic and whole spices such as mustard seeds, cumin seeds or fenugreek seeds in any combinations. Neelam’s recipe for Split Yellow Mung Beans and Pink Lentils introduces the technique.

INDIAN DAL RECIPES

Note: All the flavorings for these recipes, such as garam masala and amchur, are available at Bombay Spiceland.

SABUT MUNG SALAD

(Sprouted Mung Bean Salad)

3 tablespoons oil

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

1 (1 1/2-inch) piece ginger root, peeled and finely chopped

4 serrano chiles, skin punctured

Ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

Salt

2 1/2 to 3 cups mung bean sprouts

1/2 cup water

1 cup finely diced cucumber

1 cup finely diced sweet red pepper

3 green onions, white parts only, finely chopped

1 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped

3 tablespoons lime or lemon juice

Cucumber slices

Sweet red pepper rounds

Heat oil in medium-large pan and saute garlic, ginger and chiles until golden. Add 4 teaspoons cumin, turmeric and salt to taste. Mix in mung bean sprouts and water.

Cover and bring mixture to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 3 to 4 minutes until beans are barely tender, stirring occasionally.

Stir in diced cucumber, diced red pepper, green onions and cilantro. Cover pan and set aside.

Place 3 teaspoons cumin in small pan and roast over direct heat until dark brown. Remove from heat and mix in lime juice. Immediately pour dressing over cooked beans and stir gently.

Serve hot or cold, garnished with cucumber slices and red pepper rounds. May be stored in refrigerator 4 to 5 days. Makes about 6 cups.

METHOD FOR SPROUTING:

Sort and wash mung beans. To make the 2 1/2 to 3 cups of sprouts required for this recipe, place 1 cup dry beans in bowl and add 1 1/2 to 2 cups water--enough to soak beans completely. Cover with cheesecloth and place in kitchen cupboard 2 to 3 days. Change water at least once each day. Sprouts may be stored in refrigerator 4 to 5 days. As alternative, buy 2 1/2 to 3 cups sprouted mung beans at local health food store.

GOBHI KA PAKORA

(Cauliflower Fritters)

1 cup chickpea flour (besan)

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon paprika

Dash baking soda

Salt

2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

2/3 cup water, about

Oil

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into 30 to 35 florets

Cilantro or parsley sprigs

Bottled chutney

Plain yogurt

Sift besan. Mix in coriander, cumin, paprika, baking soda and salt to taste. Add cilantro and enough water to make medium-thick batter.

Heat oil in wok or skillet to 375 degrees. Dip each cauliflower floret into batter and place carefully in hot oil to prevent splattering. Fry until pakoras become brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels.

Arrange pakoras on platter, garnish with cilantro sprigs and serve as appetizers with mint or other chutney and yogurt for dipping.

Fritters may be lightly fried and cooled completely before refrigerating or freezing. Refry before serving. If frozen, thaw completely before refrying. Makes 30 to 35 pakoras.

Variation:

Batter may be used with thin slices of potatoes, onions, eggplant, squashes and fresh Indian cheese (paneer). Also mushrooms and green beans.

DHULI MUNG AUR MASUR KI DAL

(Split Yellow Mung Beans and Pink Lentils)

1 cup split masur dal

1 cup split and skinned mung dal

1 cup (1-inch thick) zucchini rounds

5 cups water, about

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

Salt

2 jalapeno chiles, whole or chopped, optional

Tarka

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves

Place masur dal, mung dal, zucchini, water, turmeric, salt to taste and chiles in saucepan and simmer until any foam subsides. Cover, leaving lid slightly ajar and cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

(Alternatively, cook in pressure cooker over high heat until pressure regulator starts to rock. Immediately remove pressure cooker from heat and let cool until pressure drops, about 5 minutes.)

Transfer to serving dish, pour Tarka over and mix lightly. Garnish with cilantro. Makes 8 servings.

Note: Serve hot as main dish with vegetable and yogurt on side. Keeps well in refrigerator 4 to 5 days. Reheat with additional water and add fresh Tarka when ready to serve to maximize flavor.

Tarka

1/4 cup oil

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3 teaspoons ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon paprika

Heat oil in small saucepan and brown ginger and onion. Stir in whole cumin seeds, ground cumin and coriander and paprika.

BUND GOBHI AUR DAL

(Cabbage With Mung Beans)

5 tablespoons oil

1 (2-inch) piece ginger root, peeled and finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 green onions, finely chopped

4 to 5 whole jalepeno chiles, skin punctured

1 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves

4 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon garam masala

3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon amchur (mango powder)

Salt

1 medium tomato, finely chopped

2 pounds cabbage, shredded

3/4 cup yellow split and skinned mung dal, washed and picked over

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Cilantro leaves

Heat oil in wok or large pan and saute ginger and garlic until golden. Stir in onions, chiles and chopped cilantro.

Add coriander, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, amchur and salt to taste. Saute few seconds longer. Add tomato, cabbage and dal.

Cover pan and cook over medium heat until cabbage wilts. Stir few times, reduce heat to low and let cabbage and dal cook in own juices until dal is tender, about 30 minutes. Keep covered to retain moisture. Stir occasionally.

Transfer to serving dish and garnish with pepper and cilantro leaves. Serve hot as side dish. Makes 8 servings.

Note: Keeps in refrigerator 4 to 5 days. Reheat in conventional oven, microwave oven or over direct heat.