the comfort series pt.1

It wasn’t until I stayed away from home for almost three months that I truly understood what comfort food really means.

Cooking had always been a fun hobby for me, but living alone for the first time and figuring things out, I had to cook a proper meal—and naturally, I turned to the top of my list: Pappu annam (Dal or lentils = pappu and annam = rice).

The idea of comfort food carries different meanings for everyone.

According to Locher et al., the term was added to renowned dictionaries in 1997. The Collegiate Dictionary defines it as:

“Food prepared in a traditional style with a generally nostalgic or sentimental appeal.”

The current Oxford Dictionary definition goes like:

“Foods that make you feel better, generally because they contain too much sugar or because they remind you of home.” ⁽¹⁾

During my time away, tomato dal became my version of home in a bowl. I made this recipe multiple times—sometimes in big batches that lasted a week, paired with rice or rotis.

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Tomato Dal Recipe

What You Need:

• 1 cup dal (masoor or toor dal)
• 1 onion
• 2 tomatoes
• Salt, to taste
• 1 to 2 tsps ghee
• 2 green chilies

For the tadka:

• 1 tsp split toor dal
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp jeera
• 1 dried red chilli
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• Handful of curry leaves

What to Do:

1. Start with one tsp of ghee in a pressure cooker (ideally) and add the green chilies slit in half along with finely chopped onions.
2. Once the onions become soft, add chopped tomatoes. Chopping doesn’t have to be fine as they’ll cook and turn mushy into the dal.
3. Once the tomatoes cook a little bit, add washed dal and water in a 1:3 ratio, adjusting based on the consistency you like.
4. Let it pressure cook according to your cooker’s settings or for 10-15 minutes on a stovetop, ensuring the dal is fully cooked. (It should smush up against the ladle immediately.)
5. Prepare the tadka: heat ghee, add tadka ingredients, and let them sizzle. Pour it over the cooked dal and mix well.
6. Serve with rice or rotis and dig in with your bare fingers!

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Mindfuel Bites  ^(2-4)

1. Tomatoes are high in Vitamin C and antioxidants. Combined with masoor dal, which has almost 18 grams of protein per cup and is rich in Vitamin B6, iron, and dietary fiber, this dish is both nutritious and filling.
2. While both masoor dal (red lentil) and toor dal (pigeon pea) are high-protein lentils, masoor dal generally cooks faster and is considered slightly lighter on the stomach compared to toor dal.
3. Research has proven that the combination of lentils with rice in a 1:1 ratio can improve the protein quality of lentil-based diets, resulting in increased protein synthesis in young healthy adults.
4. Rice lacks certain amino acids like lysine, which are present in dal. Conversely, dal lacks methionine and cysteine, which are found in rice. Together, they form a complete protein, similar to that found in animal products.
5. The combination of fiber from dal and carbohydrates from rice results in a lower glycemic index meal. This helps maintain steady blood sugar levels, making it suitable for diabetics.
6. The fiber in dal aids in better digestion and absorption of nutrients from rice. Moreover, the vitamin C content enhances iron absorption.

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For me, tomato dal will always be the dish that reminds me of where I’m from and brings a sense of comfort, no matter where I am.

Hope you enjoy this recipe too!

Cheers,

Lavanya

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Acknowledged sources/literature

1. Pereira, J. M., Guedes Melo, R., de Souza Medeiros, J., Queiroz de Medeiros, A. C., de Araújo Lopes, F., & Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (2024). Comfort food concepts and contexts in which they are used: A scoping review protocol. PloS one, 19(4), e0299991. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.029999
2.  https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/172421/nutrients
3. Rafii, M., Pencharz, P. B., Boileau, K., Ball, R. O., Tomlinson, C., Elango, R., & Courtney-Martin, G. (2022). Metabolic Availability of Methionine Assessed Using Indicator Amino Acid Oxidation Method, Is Greater when Cooked Lentils and Steamed Rice Are Combined in the Diet of Healthy Young Men. The Journal of nutrition, 152(6), 1467–1475. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxac049
4. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/nutritional-benefits-of-dal-rice-a-complete-guide/articleshow/111550052.cms