Varan is a non-spicy toor dal preparation. This dish is a specialty of Goan Saraswat cuisine. This dish is always prepared on any religious occasion. Traditionally, it is served with rice with little pure ghee. It is also mixed with Saar, followed by uddamethi (optional) and sol kadi.
Varan
Course: Main Course, AppetizersCuisine: IndianDifficulty: MediumServings
4
servingsPrep time
5
minutesCooking time
8
minutesIngredients
Toor dal – 1/4 cup
Coconut (scrapped) – 1/4 cup
Cumin seeds – 1/3 tsp
Turmeric powder – less than 1/3 tsp
Sugar – a pinch
Salt to taste
Directions
- Wash toor dal and pressure cook it with 1 1/2 cup of water till 4 to 6 whistles or till done. Transfer it to a small pan.
- Grind coconut, cumin seeds and turmeric powder with little water to a coarse paste.
- Bring cooked dal to a boil.
- Add the ground paste, sugar and salt.
- Simmer for 2 to 3.
- Serve with rice and a dash of pure ghee, followed by saar.
Notes
- For the second variant of Varan, exclude cumin seeds and use asafoetida. Rest of the ingredients will remain same. Same procedure to be followed. Asafoetida can be added while pressure-cooking or just before adding the ground paste. Shankar chhaap (Brand) Hing is best for such variation.
Same preparation can be made with moong dal too.
