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[LosingNow]

My wife told me about this a few days ago...I laughed it off. Now I am told by a friend in Michigan, the prices have doubled/tripled in the last few days.

Is this real? Are others facing this issue too?

Sorry..this has nothing to do with cricket or the Mumbai blasts (the hot topic on DG)..but just curious.

[sgusa]

Yup. You'd think they were  made of gold or something. Good thing i got a couple of kilos a few weeks back. I need to make my sambhars and rasams regularly

[k-slice]

losing
i will send you a parcel full of toor dal from here if you want. i dont want you to be deprived of you dal after all considering you wont even consider substituing it will chana dal or any other such thing!!

[LosingNow]

losing
i will send you a parcel full of toor dal from here if you want. i dont want you to be deprived of you dal after all considering you wont even consider substituing it will chana dal or any other such thing!!

Yeh, buddy.. I was travelling when my wife informed me of this..and I was in splits just like you are .. seriously, I brushed it aside with a laugh. Then again someone mentioned it y'day ..and again today. Turns out ..I am the goofball here.

BTW, appears like the government of India has banned the export of dals because of rising prices internally..and therefore, there is a huge shortage here and some stores have resorted to rationing.

[pieterSAN]

Why would the price of Toor Dal go up that much in India?

[k-slice]

pieter
because of a poor harvest last year. toor dal and chana dal prices have almost doubled. why would i know this? because i have 300 homing pigeins and the bastards are about to eat me out of hearth and home. sorry folks living in amrika but my pigeins need the dal more than you do

[pieterSAN]

Hmm...Is chana dal the same as chick peas?

[k-slice]

chick peas/garbanzo beans are a larger version i think of the same family.
but maybe i am completely off target here.

[pieterSAN]

thanks k-slice.
82% of the world's toor dal is produced in India. Now if anyone wants to hold all NRIs hostage... 

[MockTurtle]

Hmm...Is chana dal the same as chick peas?

i think chana dal is from the black variety of chick peas. kala chana dish made the punjabi style is quite delicious .

[k-slice]

mock
when you split a kaala chana pea though it is white on the nside. chana dal is yellow. now this might be attributed to the strong chemical dye they probably use but are you sure that this is where dal originates?

[Libran]

Hmm...Is chana dal the same as chick peas?

i think chana dal is from the black variety of chick peas. kala chana dish made the punjabi style is quite delicious .

And none makes it better than "Tandoor" in Blore 

[k-slice]

ok wikipedia says it comes from chickpeas that are smaller and sorta a cross between kaala chana and the fatter garbaanzo type chana. so i guess you were right.
i also remember there was some daal that was banned in india because it was poisonous does anyone know the name?

[MockTurtle]

mock
when you split a kaala chana pea though it is white on the nside. chana dal is yellow. now this might be attributed to the strong chemical dye they probably use but are you sure that this is where dal originates?

i am not sure. i am repeating what a punjabi lady told me and i assume she knew what she was talking about.

besan is also from kala chana is what i was told.

http://store.indianfoodsco.com/grocery/ProdDesc.cfm?itemid=AJG004&Description=Besan&countryid=&countryname=&countryorderid (check the Notes portion)

[k-slice]

another place to get killer chana dal(well really good not the kind that will be fatal on consumption) is delgi dhaba near the clarendon metro station in washington Dc
it is not heavy and isnt overtly spiced up.

[Libran]

Hmm...Is chana dal the same as chick peas?

i think chana dal is from the black variety of chick peas. kala chana dish made the punjabi style is quite delicious .

And none makes it better than "Tandoor" in Blore 

umm..i had it made by a punjabi woman (a friend's mother) and that's the best i've tasted. usually, the restaurant food is too heavy and laden with too much spice for my taste. but shall remember to check out Tandoor when i visit B'lore next.

And try out Angeethi and Bombay Post too !!

[vincent]

Don't you guys get Masoor Dal (Red Lentils) in the US? It is as good as Toor Dal for Sambhar and it cooks much faster.Moreover it comes from many different countries and not just from India.

[MockTurtle]

Hmm...Is chana dal the same as chick peas?

i think chana dal is from the black variety of chick peas. kala chana dish made the punjabi style is quite delicious .

And none makes it better than "Tandoor" in Blore 

umm..i had it made by a punjabi woman (a friend's mother) and that's the best i've tasted. usually, the restaurant food is too heavy and laden with too much spice for my taste. but shall remember to check out Tandoor when i visit B'lore next.

And try out Angeethi and Bombay Post too !!

cool - i have been to only a few restaurants in b'lore. one was called "peacock", i think and the other was the restaurant at Taj Coramandel with seating on the lawn. then there was this odd place in the city that served killer tamarind rice (pulihara?) - a small, no frills place in the heart of the city.

[MockTurtle]

Don't you guys get Masoor Dal (Red Lentils) in the US? It is as good as Toor Dal for Sambhar and it cooks much faster.Moreover it comes from many different countries and not just from India.

no tamilian worth his/her salt with settle for masoor dal or any other daal to replace the toor daal in sambhar

that said, i don't care for sambhar.

[sgusa]

Don't you guys get Masoor Dal (Red Lentils) in the US? It is as good as Toor Dal for Sambhar and it cooks much faster.Moreover it comes from many different countries and not just from India.

Sacrilage!! Such attrocities shall not be uttered. Next you will tell me that normal onions can be substituted for the small onions!!!! 

[Libran]

Hmm...Is chana dal the same as chick peas?

i think chana dal is from the black variety of chick peas. kala chana dish made the punjabi style is quite delicious .

And none makes it better than "Tandoor" in Blore 

umm..i had it made by a punjabi woman (a friend's mother) and that's the best i've tasted. usually, the restaurant food is too heavy and laden with too much spice for my taste. but shall remember to check out Tandoor when i visit B'lore next.

And try out Angeethi and Bombay Post too !!

cool - i have been to only a few restaurants in b'lore. one was called "peacock", i think and the other was the restaurant at Taj Coramandel with seating on the lawn. then there was this odd place in the city that served killer tamarind rice (pulihara?) - a small, no frills place in the heart of the city.

Peacock is closed...has been closed for more than a year now, I think. The other place would be the Paradise Island in the Taj West End (Taj Coramandel is Chennai based) ...not aware of the third place..but would be worth a try

[Libran]

Don't you guys get Masoor Dal (Red Lentils) in the US? It is as good as Toor Dal for Sambhar and it cooks much faster.Moreover it comes from many different countries and not just from India.

Sacrilage!! Such attrocities shall not be uttered. Next you will tell me that normal onions can be substituted for the small onions!!!! 

Even worse would be a recommendation of any ordinary pickle when one can have fried chillies ( more molaga) with curd rice ...

[fineleg]

http://www.foodsubs.com/Lentils.html

Vincent is right - it is a designated substitute and India has banned export of some lentils till Mar 2007.
So, start looking at alternates.

[MockTurtle]

Hmm...Is chana dal the same as chick peas?

i think chana dal is from the black variety of chick peas. kala chana dish made the punjabi style is quite delicious .

And none makes it better than "Tandoor" in Blore 

umm..i had it made by a punjabi woman (a friend's mother) and that's the best i've tasted. usually, the restaurant food is too heavy and laden with too much spice for my taste. but shall remember to check out Tandoor when i visit B'lore next.

And try out Angeethi and Bombay Post too !!

cool - i have been to only a few restaurants in b'lore. one was called "peacock", i think and the other was the restaurant at Taj Coramandel with seating on the lawn. then there was this odd place in the city that served killer tamarind rice (pulihara?) - a small, no frills place in the heart of the city.

Peacock is closed...has been closed for more than a year now, I think. The other place would be the Paradise Island in the Taj West End (Taj Coramandel is Chennai based) ...not aware of the third place..but would be worth a try

ah, this trip was about 5 years ago and hence the fading memory

of course, Taj Coramandel is at madras. let me see if i can find the name of the other place from my friend - maybe that is also closed The Taj experience was particularly embarrassing coz it happened to be my b'day and my friend in b'lore told that to the restaurant people to order a surprise cake for me and they in turn told  some guy who was singing (they had some live music and dance there). so, out of the blue, the chap on stage calls my name out and wishes me happy b'day and on top of it, asks me to go up and dance with him. all very embarrassing and i still haven't forgiven my buddy for this.

[MockTurtle]

Don't you guys get Masoor Dal (Red Lentils) in the US? It is as good as Toor Dal for Sambhar and it cooks much faster.Moreover it comes from many different countries and not just from India.

Sacrilage!! Such attrocities shall not be uttered. Next you will tell me that normal onions can be substituted for the small onions!!!! 

Even worse would be a recommendation of any ordinary pickle when one can have fried chillies ( more molaga) with curd rice ...

more molagai or vadu mangai? aaargh, i am so peckish now!

[MockTurtle]

Don't you guys get Masoor Dal (Red Lentils) in the US? It is as good as Toor Dal for Sambhar and it cooks much faster.Moreover it comes from many different countries and not just from India.

Sacrilage!! Such attrocities shall not be uttered. Next you will tell me that normal onions can be substituted for the small onions!!!! 

do you use the pearl onions? i find them rather bland and the vengaya sambhar isn't quite the same. shallots make a better option. or wait a min, you go to the indian store and buy the real thing?

[fineleg]

Mock,
I hope they video taped ur dance! Lasting memories.

[LosingNow]

Hmm...Is chana dal the same as chick peas?

i think chana dal is from the black variety of chick peas. kala chana dish made the punjabi style is quite delicious .

And none makes it better than "Tandoor" in Blore 

umm..i had it made by a punjabi woman (a friend's mother) and that's the best i've tasted. usually, the restaurant food is too heavy and laden with too much spice for my taste. but shall remember to check out Tandoor when i visit B'lore next.

And try out Angeethi and Bombay Post too !!

Angeethi...yum. Isnt that on the terrace of that hotel - I am forgetting the name. They have a nice Banarasi Pan shop there too.
BTW, What do you guys think of Samarkand. ..When Kumble was batting during St Kitts test, I was yelling - Meal at Samarkand on me, if you stay another over - he waved his bat back at us between overs! He he he he

[fineleg]

Isn't that sorta an insult? I mean AK considers himself a pretty good bat

Maybe his waving the bat was more an "Inzy waving the bat at that spectator"

Lucky u - u were bit far away from him

[MockTurtle]

Mock,
I hope they video taped ur dance! Lasting memories.

ha! i refused to go to the stage and dance and this idjet kept calling me. i felt like throwing a plate at his face. and then he made this grand comment on the mike, "she is shy". IDJET - no, make that "filtered IDJET"

[LosingNow]

Don't you guys get Masoor Dal (Red Lentils) in the US? It is as good as Toor Dal for Sambhar and it cooks much faster.Moreover it comes from many different countries and not just from India.

Even though the title of the thread says "toor Dal"..I think there is a general shortage of all dals..Toor dal is getting prominence because it is most popular - I am told.

[fineleg]

Do other countries export lentils to USA or is it only India?

[fineleg]

Mock,
I hope they video taped ur dance! Lasting memories.

ha! i refused to go to the stage and dance and this idjet kept calling me. i felt like throwing a plate at his face. and then he made this grand comment on the mike, "she is shy". IDJET - no, make that "filtered IDJET"

Ah! U disappointed ur friends tch...tch...

[LosingNow]

Don't you guys get Masoor Dal (Red Lentils) in the US? It is as good as Toor Dal for Sambhar and it cooks much faster.Moreover it comes from many different countries and not just from India.

Sacrilage!! Such attrocities shall not be uttered. Next you will tell me that normal onions can be substituted for the small onions!!!! 

Agree..my friends wife makes a killer Sambhar with those small onions. I cant fathom how normal onions (or even Mock's suggestion of shallots) can be subbed for them. Well never tried, but cannot see it.

[LosingNow]

Hmm...Is chana dal the same as chick peas?

i think chana dal is from the black variety of chick peas. kala chana dish made the punjabi style is quite delicious .

And none makes it better than "Tandoor" in Blore 

umm..i had it made by a punjabi woman (a friend's mother) and that's the best i've tasted. usually, the restaurant food is too heavy and laden with too much spice for my taste. but shall remember to check out Tandoor when i visit B'lore next.

And try out Angeethi and Bombay Post too !!

Another one.. I think it is called Queen (it is low-key, I think opposite Bhima's Andhra food place, very close to the hotel that has Angeethi) and has great North Indian food...with excellent Tandoori Rotis (BTW, getting them right is an ART)

[pieterSAN]

eejit, that's how the Irish say it.

.....well not exactly, it's only Irish if you add the prefix, I guess

[k-slice]

interesting to note that one a cricket thread the most active thread is one discussing dal and what kind best hits the target when added to sambar.

[MockTurtle]

Don't you guys get Masoor Dal (Red Lentils) in the US? It is as good as Toor Dal for Sambhar and it cooks much faster.Moreover it comes from many different countries and not just from India.

Sacrilage!! Such attrocities shall not be uttered. Next you will tell me that normal onions can be substituted for the small onions!!!! 

Agree..my friends wife makes a killer Sambhar with those small onions. I cant fathom how normal onions (or even Mock's suggestion of shallots) can be subbed for them. Well never tried, but cannot see it.

hey, i said that shallots are BETTER than pearl onions and did not say that they make the real thing! the key to getting the real flavour in onion sambhar is to crush some onions and add to the daal while cooking it. (note: am no cook and all these tidbits are picked up from assorted friends' moms)

[LosingNow]

Don't you guys get Masoor Dal (Red Lentils) in the US? It is as good as Toor Dal for Sambhar and it cooks much faster.Moreover it comes from many different countries and not just from India.

Sacrilage!! Such attrocities shall not be uttered. Next you will tell me that normal onions can be substituted for the small onions!!!! 

Agree..my friends wife makes a killer Sambhar with those small onions. I cant fathom how normal onions (or even Mock's suggestion of shallots) can be subbed for them. Well never tried, but cannot see it.

hey, i said that shallots are BETTER than pearl onions and did not say that they make the real thing! the key to getting the real flavour in onion sambhar is to crush some onions and add to the daal while cooking it. (note: am no cook and all these tidbits are picked up from assorted friends' moms)

OK.
Me no cook either. Unfortunately, know enough about food to be a critic!

[MockTurtle]

Don't you guys get Masoor Dal (Red Lentils) in the US? It is as good as Toor Dal for Sambhar and it cooks much faster.Moreover it comes from many different countries and not just from India.

Sacrilage!! Such attrocities shall not be uttered. Next you will tell me that normal onions can be substituted for the small onions!!!! 

Agree..my friends wife makes a killer Sambhar with those small onions. I cant fathom how normal onions (or even Mock's suggestion of shallots) can be subbed for them. Well never tried, but cannot see it.

hey, i said that shallots are BETTER than pearl onions and did not say that they make the real thing! the key to getting the real flavour in onion sambhar is to crush some onions and add to the daal while cooking it. (note: am no cook and all these tidbits are picked up from assorted friends' moms)

OK.
Me no cook either. Unfortunately, know enough about food to be a critic!

but you are a husband - how can you NOT be a cook?