Chingri Do Piaza and Pumpkin Dal
Asma Khan’s Chingri Do Piaza and Pumpkin Dal. Creamy red lentils simmered with pumpkin, turmeric and chilli and juicy prawns cooked with caramelised onions, ginger, garlic. Perfect served with rice!
Ingredients
Chingri Do Piaza
- 450g (1lb) onions: half roughly chopped; half thinly sliced into half-moons
- 4-cm (1½-in) piece of fresh root ginger
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 120ml (4fl oz/½ cup) warm water
- 900g–1kg (2lb–2lb 4oz) small/medium raw prawns (shrimp), deveined and shelled
- 4 fresh green chillies, slit in the middle (if unavailable add 1 tsp chilli powder)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
Pumpkin Dal
For the dal:
- 200g (7oz/1 cup plus 2 tbsp) split red lentils (masoor dal)
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 50g (13/4oz) onion, thinly sliced
- 2.5-cm (1-in) fresh root ginger, grated
- 150g (5oz) pumpkin, chopped into 2.5-cm (1-in) cubes
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 litre (13/4 pints/41/3 cups) water
- 1 tbsp tomato purée (tomato paste)
For the tempered spices:
- 2 tbsp ghee (or vegetable oil)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 dried red chillies
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Method
Chingri Do Piaza
In a food processor, blitz the chopped onions with the ginger and garlic.
Heat the oil in a karai or wok over a medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and stir until they are nicely caramelized. Add the onion paste followed by the ground spices and stir for a minute, then add the salt and warm water, and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat to medium and keep stirring until the water reduces and the raw smell of the garlic is gone. This may take 10 minutes. When the oil is visible around the edges of the onion mix, add the prawns and green chillies, and continue to stir until the prawns are pink and no longer translucent. (If you are using cooked prawns, just warm them through). Add the lemon juice and taste for seasoning.
Garnish with chopped fresh coriander and serve with rice.
Pumpkin Dal
Pick over the lentils for any impurities, then wash in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear. Soak the lentils for 30 minutes if you have time. Soaking will speed up the cooking process and will help to break down the dal when cooking, giving you a better texture. Unlike chana dal and mung dal that require soaking, masoor dal cooks quickly, so soaking is not absolutely essential here. Drain well.
Warm the oil in a heavy-based pan that has a lid over a medium heat. Add the sliced onions and stir until they start to turn brown, then add the ginger and keep stirring. Add the pumpkin along with the turmeric and chilli powder, and stir for a minute, then add the salt and the drained lentils. Stir for a few more minutes, then add the measured water and bring to the boil. With a spoon, remove and discard any scum that may come to the top. Partially cover and reduce to a simmer for 30–40minutes. Leave the lid slightly ajar–you need to keep stirring the dal at regular intervals.
When the dal and pumpkin are cooked, remove the lid, add the tomato purée, and stir to ensure it does not get stuck at the bottom of the pan. Take the dal off the heat. (At this point, you could cool the dal and store in the fridge until ready to eat, then reheat when needed.)
Temper the dal before serving. Heat the ghee in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds followed by the whole dried chillies and then the garlic. Keep stirring to ensure the garlic is cooked evenly. When the garlic is brown, tip the contents of the pan into the lentils. Taste for seasoning before serving.
Ingredients
Chingri Do Piaza
- 450g (1lb) onions: half roughly chopped; half thinly sliced into half-moons
- 4-cm (1½-in) piece of fresh root ginger
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 120ml (4fl oz/½ cup) warm water
- 900g–1kg (2lb–2lb 4oz) small/medium raw prawns (shrimp), deveined and shelled
- 4 fresh green chillies, slit in the middle (if unavailable add 1 tsp chilli powder)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
Pumpkin Dal
For the dal:
- 200g (7oz/1 cup plus 2 tbsp) split red lentils (masoor dal)
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 50g (13/4oz) onion, thinly sliced
- 2.5-cm (1-in) fresh root ginger, grated
- 150g (5oz) pumpkin, chopped into 2.5-cm (1-in) cubes
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 litre (13/4 pints/41/3 cups) water
- 1 tbsp tomato purée (tomato paste)
For the tempered spices:
- 2 tbsp ghee (or vegetable oil)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 dried red chillies
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Method
Chingri Do Piaza
In a food processor, blitz the chopped onions with the ginger and garlic.
Heat the oil in a karai or wok over a medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and stir until they are nicely caramelized. Add the onion paste followed by the ground spices and stir for a minute, then add the salt and warm water, and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat to medium and keep stirring until the water reduces and the raw smell of the garlic is gone. This may take 10 minutes. When the oil is visible around the edges of the onion mix, add the prawns and green chillies, and continue to stir until the prawns are pink and no longer translucent. (If you are using cooked prawns, just warm them through). Add the lemon juice and taste for seasoning.
Garnish with chopped fresh coriander and serve with rice.
Pumpkin Dal
Pick over the lentils for any impurities, then wash in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear. Soak the lentils for 30 minutes if you have time. Soaking will speed up the cooking process and will help to break down the dal when cooking, giving you a better texture. Unlike chana dal and mung dal that require soaking, masoor dal cooks quickly, so soaking is not absolutely essential here. Drain well.
Warm the oil in a heavy-based pan that has a lid over a medium heat. Add the sliced onions and stir until they start to turn brown, then add the ginger and keep stirring. Add the pumpkin along with the turmeric and chilli powder, and stir for a minute, then add the salt and the drained lentils. Stir for a few more minutes, then add the measured water and bring to the boil. With a spoon, remove and discard any scum that may come to the top. Partially cover and reduce to a simmer for 30–40minutes. Leave the lid slightly ajar–you need to keep stirring the dal at regular intervals.
When the dal and pumpkin are cooked, remove the lid, add the tomato purée, and stir to ensure it does not get stuck at the bottom of the pan. Take the dal off the heat. (At this point, you could cool the dal and store in the fridge until ready to eat, then reheat when needed.)
Temper the dal before serving. Heat the ghee in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds followed by the whole dried chillies and then the garlic. Keep stirring to ensure the garlic is cooked evenly. When the garlic is brown, tip the contents of the pan into the lentils. Taste for seasoning before serving.
