Red Lentil Dal
Ever since my Indian neighbors moved in, I’ve had great cravings for Indian food. This is because around noon, when I’m puttering around the garden, the most wonderful cooking aromas begin wafting from their homes.
So far my luck with Indian cuisine has been unremarkable but this dish which I found on Epicurious.com and adapted according to various reader reviews is spectacular.
When I first made it, I loved it so much that I ate it for two straight weeks.
It’s a thick, well spiced dal, perfect when served with basmati rice or naan.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cups onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups water or chicken stock
- 1 cup dried lentils (red, brown or green. simply adjust cooking time accordingly)
- 3/4 tsp tumeric
- 1 tbsp cumin
-1 1/4 tsp fresh ginger juice
- 5 shakes cayanne pepper powder
- 1/4 tbsp curry powder
Side & Garnishes
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 2/3 cup tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 chopped fresh cilantro
- plain yogurt, strained of extra liquid
- 1 jalapeno chile, chopped
Instructions
Heat oil in med. skillet over med. heat. Add 1 c. onion (reserving the rest for later) with 1 minced garlic clove and saute until tender & golden brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
In a heavy-bottomed medium-sized saucepan or pot, combine 3 c. water or stock, lentils, remaining cup onion and 2 minced garlic cloves, tumeric, cumin and ginger*. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat & simmer until lentils are tender, approximately 30 minutes for red or green, 1 to 1.5hrs for brown. Partially puree with a hand blender or simply smoosh in pot with the back of a wooden spoon.
Add sauteed onion mixture to pot of lentils and mix. Simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, spoon over basmati rice and serve topped with yogurt, tomatoes, cilantro and chiles.
Serves 4
* If using brown lentils which cook longer, add herbs and spices in the latter half of cooking time.
I’ve made this dish successfully with half pearled barley and half brown lentils.
