My Dal Recipes

DAL RECIPE (INDIAN RED LENTIL CURRY)

Steps:

• Rinse the lentils well until the water is clear and drain in colander. Tip: If using other yellow lentils instead of red lentils, then soaking in water for about an hour will help.
• In a medium cooking pot take the drained red lentils, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, sliced garlic, turmeric, water and bring it to a boil.
• Lower the heat and cook it for about 30 minutes. Add salt to taste and continue to cook until most lentils start breaking down, become a bit mushy and turn into a thick sauce like consistency.
• Cook the dal until it reaches a consistency that is thinner than what is desired, because it will thicken further after cooking.

THE BEST EASY DAL RECIPE

Steps:

• Rinse the lentils in a sieve, then put them in a large saucepan with the turmeric, several grinds of salt and 3 cups (700ml) of water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes, until soft and broken down.
• Now is a good time to put your rice on, if you're making rice.
• Meanwhile, gather and prep your tarka ingredients. You want everything chopped and measured, ready to go, before you start cooking because you will be adding ingredients to the pan in very quick succession. You may even wish to line everything up in the order it goes in the pan.
• Now make your tarka. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onions until soft and slightly browned. Add the sliced garlic and stir until slightly browning before adding the minced garlic, chili and ginger. Once fragrant, push all of the onions, garlic and ginger to the sides of the pan and add the cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds to the middle of the pan to toast them, just for a few moments until the toasty scent comes out. Then turn off the heat and immediately add the butter and garam masala, coriander and smoked paprika (+ chili powder, if using). The residual heat of the pan will melt the butter so it can very lightly fry the ground spices.
• Once the lentils are cooked, stir in the lemon juice.
• Once ready, pour the tarka mix into the lentils and stir through. Allow the dal to sit, off the heat, for at least 5 minutes. (I use this time to chop coriander and heat up some naan breads.)

MY DAL

Steps:

• Put the split mung dal, turmeric, water and salt into a pot large enough to hold them and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer about 40 minutes. The dal should become somewhat soft and porridge-like. Set aside.
• Place the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, peppercorns and chilies in a dry saute pan and toast them until they become quite fragrant. After allowing the spices to cool, grind them in a spice or coffee grinder until fine.
• Place the oil in a saute pan and add the garlic and shallots. Cook over high heat until softened and just beginning to brown. Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add the ground spices and cook for 1 minute. Add the mixture to the cooked dal and simmer for about 10 minutes over low heat. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if needed.
• Serve with rice and celery leaves.