Dal is cooked everyday in almost every home in India, whether at lunch or at dinner. If you usually end up having a bowl full of leftover dal, and don’t know what to do with it, then here are some delicious ideas for what to do with leftover dal.

Dal paranthas: Take wheat in a large bowl, and add dal to it, along with some chopped onions, salt and red chilly powder to taste, and green chilies. Knead a dough with it. Add water if needed. Add paranthas with this dough, and serve with chutney or pickle.

Dal toast: Add besan in the leftover dal to make a thick paste. Add salt and red chilly powder to taste. Add some hing too. Use a spoon to wrap one side of the bread with this paste, and place it upside down on a hot oiled tawa. Then spread the paste on the other side of the bread too, and flip over until both sides become brown and look cooked. Serve with chutney or ketchup.

Dal tikki: Add besan, salt, hing, green chilies, chopped onions and red chilly powder to the leftover dal. Also add some sooji for a crispy texture. Make small rolls with it like a tikki, and shallow fry on a hot tawa. Serve with ketchup or sandwich between two pieces of bread.

Dal pancakes: Mix leftover dal, finely chopped spinach leaves, gram flour and rice flour together, and add salt and chilly powder to taste. Also add ginger garlic paste and cumin seeds to it, and knead to make a dough. Add water if needed. Make a thin pancake with this dough, and cook on both sides on a non-stick pan until it becomes golden brown. Serve hot with green chutney, curd or pickle.

Dal cutlets: Add grated carrot, boiled and mashed potato, sweet corn and bread crumbs to the leftover dal, along with ginger garlic paste, chilli powder and salt to taste. Make small cutlets with this paste, roll them on bread crumbs and fry until golden brown. Serve with green chilly chutney or tamarind.

Dal pakora: Add besan to the leftover dal, along with some chopped onions, spinach, or any other leftover vegetables, along with some salt and chilly to taste. Make a thick paste with the ingredients, and make small balls to make pakoras with it. Add the balls to hot oil in a wok one at a time, and deep fry until golden brown. Serve with ketchup or chutney.

Also Read: Ukadiche Modak Recipe

BY M. DIVYA SRI