Tag: Dal

Red Lentil Dal with asafoetida

This is a very basic dal. The main message is, use four times as much water as the weight in lentils, then when the lentils are cooked and salted to taste, fry the spices in oil, and stir in. It is an excellent side-dish. 

I get a lot of my spices by mail order from seasoned pioneers, such as the asafoetida in this dish. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 200g red lentils 
  • 800ml water
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp oil or butter
  • 1/8 tsp asafoetida
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1-2 hot whole dried chillies
  • 1 shallot, in slivers

METHOD:

  • Put the red lentils in a saucepan with the water, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for around 30 minutes until the lentils are breaking up. Check from time to time and stir to prevent the dal from sticking. Turn of the heat, and stir in the salt when the lentils are broken up. 
  • Pour the oil/ghee/butter into a small pan, and bring to a medium high temperature. Add the asafoetida, then cumin and then the peppers in that order, stirring once before each addition. As soon as the spices start to darken, add the shallot, cook until that starts to colour, and then pour into the cooked dal. Stir to mix and then serve. 

Dal, by itself, is a great light meal with a bit of nan bread to scoop it up. It is also excellent as a side dish in a more substantial meal, served in a small bowl. 

Red Lentil Dal with ginger

This is another Madhur Jaffrey recipe from Curry Easy, a great side-dish for other curries. It is a good idea to make this early on in the meal preparation, as it can sit cooking slowly, and will stand in a warm spot once it is ready.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
  • 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 140g chopped tomatoes, or 140g tinned chopped tomatoes
  • 200g red lentils
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 tbsp chopped coriander

METHOD:

  • Combine the garlic, ginger, ground coriander, cumin, cayenne and turmeric in a small bowl, ready to add to the pan. 
  • Pour the oil into a medium pan over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onion, and fry until it is beginning to turn golden at the edges. 
  • Add the spice mixture from the bowl, stir for a minute, add the tomatoes and continue to cook until the tomatoes have softened. 
  • Now add the lentils, 800ml water and salt and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer over a low heat for 45 minutes. Check from time to time, stir to prevent it from sticking, and possibly add a litte water if you think it is getting a bit too thick. 
  • For the last five minutes of cooking, uncover and stir, and then add in the fresh coriander.