It's fun to have foodies around you who share recipes. One of my friends, who is a Rajasthani, had Panchratna Dal and Gud ke Chawal for dinner and I was fascinated. I'd never heard of this dish before and the curious kitty took over. I asked him to share the recipe and he got it from his mom. I later come to know that this recipe is an authentic, traditional Maheshwari Marwari recipe (it's a secret recipe) so I'm even grateful that I made it for my Sunday lunch.
I love Rajasthani food and the Dal Bati I'd made last time was equally delicious.
The Panchratna Dal and Gud ke Chawal don't take too long to make, however, the trick is to prepare for both the dishes side by side. So while you soak the dals, perhaps you can make the jaggery syrup for the rice. And when the dals are on the cooker, you can do other preparations like crushing the spices. The dishes can be eaten together or separately, however, they just complement each other so well! The spiciness of the dal and the sweetness of the rice make it a super combo. So here are the recipes for the authentic and traditional Panchratna Dal and Gud ke Chawal straight from Rajasthan!
INGREDIENTS FOR PANCHRATNA DAL
1/4 cup toor dal1/4 cup masoor dal
1/4 cup udid dal
1/4 cup chana dal
1/4 cup moong dal
Turmeric
Red chilli powder
Garam masala
Salt
For tadka:
3 tbsp ghee
Cumin seeds (jeera)
Asafoetida (hing)
Powdered cloves (laung)
Powdered cardamom (elaichi)
Powdered nutmeg (jaiphal)
Powdered javitri
HOW TO MAKE PANCHRATNA DAL
1. Take equal amounts of all dals and wash them. (The quantity depends on how much you wish to make. I took about 1/4 cups each of all the dals.)
2. Soak the washed dals in hot water for an hour.
3. Cook the dals in a pressure cooker with water and turmeric. A few dals take longer to cook so make sure to keep the stove on low flame to ensure everything is cooked. (The cooked dal should appear mushy.)
4. In a large wok, transfer the cooked dal and add salt, garam masala, and red chilli powder. (To make it more spicy, add more red chilli powder than required.)
5. In a separate tadka vessel, add ghee.
6. Once the ghee is hot, add jeera, hing, and powdered elaichi, laung, jaiphal, and javitri. (I did not have javitri so I skipped it, however, traditionally it is used.)
7. Pour the tadka on top of the dal and stir.
8. Check for its taste and serve hot with Gud Ke Chawal (recipe below).
INGREDIENTS FOR GUD KE CHAWAL
2 cups plain rice1/2 cup* jaggery
3 tbsp ghee
Powdered cloves (laung)
Powdered cardamom (elaichi)
Powdered nutmeg (jaiphal)
Powdered javitri
Dry fruits (optional)
Pinch of salt (optional)
*Traditionally, for a 2-cup rice, take about 1 cup jaggery.
HOW TO MAKE GUD KE CHAWAL
1. In a small vessel, add jaggery and water to make syrup. Keep on boiling until the jaggery is melted. Keep aside.
2. Wash rice and keep aside.
3. In a pressure cooker/pan, pour ghee. Once the ghee is hot, add powdered elaichi, laung, jaiphal, and javitri. (I did not have javitri so I skipped it, however, traditionally it is used.)
4. Turn the stove to a low flame and add the washed rice. Fry for a minute.
6. Further, add dry fruits. Give it a nice stir.
7. You can even add a pinch of salt if the sweetness bothers you. Add water.
8. Shut the lid of the cooker/pan and cook until one whistle (or until the rice is cooked).
9. Serve hot with Panchratna Dal!
This recipe is best for winters due to its ingredients such dals, jaggery, and the spices. However, I believe it's a round-the-year dish that can be eaten anytime! I absolutely loved it and the fact that I can make it multiple times after this makes me so happy. The panchratna dal tasted typical Rajasthani and the gud ke chawal resembled Maharashtrian Narali Bhaat (coconut rice).
