Madras Dhal Recipes

MADRAS CURRY SAUCE RECIPE - BIR CURRY HOUSE STYLE

Steps:

• Heat your pan over medium high heat and add the oil. When hot, add the dried Kashmiri chillies and cardamom pods.
• Move these whole spices around in the oil for about 30 seconds and then add the garlic and ginger paste. Fry for a further 30 seconds.
• Add the green chillies followed by the cumin, coriander, turmeric, chilli powder and mixed powder and stir to combine.
• Spoon in the tomato puree followed bye a ladle full of the base sauce. This is the perfect time to add your main ingredient of choice. You could also just keep making the sauce to serve later with any main ingredient.
• Stir in the mango chutney and lime juice. Allow to simmer for a couple of minutes only stirring if the sauce is obviously sticking to the pan.
• To finish, sprinkle the garam masala over the top, garnish with the fresh coriander (cilantro) and season with salt to taste.

MADRAS LENTILS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven or medium-high heat. Add onion, pepper, ginger and garlic; cook until vegetables are softened, 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in tomato paste, chili powder, garam masala, cumin, salt, paprika, and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute.
• Stir in broth and lentils, increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes.
• Stir in beans, vinegar, and honey; season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve lentils over rice or with naan bread, top with cilantro and a drizzle of coconut milk or half-and-half, if using.
• Store lentils in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

RED LENTIL CURRY RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pot to medium heat.
• Add the onion, peppers and potato. Stir and cook them down 5 minutes to soften.
• Add the ginger and garlic and stir. Cook for 1 minute, until you can smell that gorgeous garlic.
• Add the curry paste, curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, cayenne, chili flakes, mustard seeds, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring.
• Add the chopped tomato, water, coconut milk and red lentils. Stir.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the lentils soften and all of the flavors combine. If the curry is too thick, add in a bit more water.
• Serve with rice and garnish!

DHAL RECIPE

Steps:

• Sieve through the lentils with a colander.
• Rinse with water a few times.
• Soak the lentils in water for a few hours.
• Bring the water to a boil. Add the lentils to the boiling water, then reduce to a simmer.
• Add one teaspoon of turmeric powder.
• Cook until it turns soft, which will take about forty-five minutes.
• Season the dahl with salt.
• Melt the ghee or butter in a saucepan.
• Add the cumin seeds along with mustard seeds.
• Add the chopped onion and sautéed until lightly golden and translucent.
• Next, add the minced garlic and ginger.
• Add the chopped tomatoes once the garlic starts to turn to light brown,
• Add the ground coriander, garam masala, curry leaves, and dry chiles. Mixed well
• Combine the spices with the soften lentils
• Cook further for a few minutes until it becomes homogeneous.
• Garnish with a dollop of yogurt, some fried shallots, and fresh coriander leaves.

EASY MASOOR DAAL

Steps:

• Rinse lentils thoroughly and place in a medium saucepan along with ginger, turmeric, salt and cayenne pepper. Cover with about 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that forms on top of the lentils. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender and soupy.
• Meanwhile, in a microwave safe dish combine oil, dried onion and cumin seeds. Microwave on high for 45 seconds to 1 minute; be sure to brown, but not burn, onions. Stir into lentil mixture.

DAL MAKHANI (INDIAN LENTILS)

Steps:

• Place lentils and kidney beans in a large bowl; cover with plenty of water. Soak for at least 2 hours or overnight. Drain.
• Cook lentils, kidney beans, 5 cups water, and salt in a pot over medium heat until tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Remove from heat and set aside. Keep the lentils, kidney beans, and any excess cooking water in the pot.
• Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook cumin seeds in the hot oil until they begin to pop, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and cloves; cook until bay leaves turn brown, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low; add ginger paste, garlic paste, turmeric, and cayenne pepper. Stir to coat.
• Stir tomato puree into spice mixture; cook over medium heat until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder, coriander, and butter; cook and stir until butter is melted.
• Stir lentils, kidney beans and any leftover cooking water into tomato mixture; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Stir fenugreek into lentil mixture. Cover saucepan and simmer until heated through, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Add cream and cook until heated through, 2 to 4 minutes.

NEXT LEVEL DHAL MAKHANI

Steps:

• Tip the dhal into a sieve and rinse under cold water several times until the water runs clear. Put in a large bowl or pot and cover in double their volume of warm water. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda and leave to soak at room temperature for at least 12 hrs.
• Drain the dhal (but don't rinse), tip into a pan and cover with 1.5 litres water. Add the sliced ginger, whole chilli and turmeric, then bring to the boil, skim off any scum that rises to the top and reduce the heat. Simmer uncovered for 1 hr until very tender, or cook in a pressure cooker for 20 mins. Remove the ginger and chilli.
• Heat the butter in a separate pan over a medium-high heat until it has foamed up and turned nut-brown. Pour half into a small container and set aside. Return the pan and remaining butter to the heat and add the cumin seeds, fenugreek leaves, ground coriander, garlic, grated ginger and tomato purée and cook for 2 mins more. Stir the spice mixture into the cooked dhal, then add the kidney beans along with the liquid from the can and season generously with salt.
• Roughly mash the dhal mixture with a potato masher until some of the pulses are crushed. Cook, stirring, over a very low heat for 15-20 mins until the dhal is thick and creamy. Stir through most of the reserved brown butter, the garam marsala and half the cream. Tip the dhal into a serving dish and drizzle over the remaining cream and brown butter. Scatter over the chopped chilli and ginger matchsticks and serve.