AgileMJOLNIR

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Hello all - This dish was fun to make and not much cleanup which I know we can all appreciate. Definitely Vegetarian friendly and I believe also Vegan?
Either way I hope you all enjoy!

B6FCF95E-1AF4-4136-8846-C22D1428CCBF.jpeg


SERVES​

3-4

INGREDIENTS​

  • 160g red lentils/ masoor dal
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder, plus an extra pinch
  • 700ml water
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp black mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 10 curry leaves
  • 1 large Cinnamon stick broken in half or 2 small
  • 2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
  • 100g white onion, finely chopped
  • 5 small cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 120g tomato, finely chopped
  • Pinch sugar
  • 1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped, to garnish

METHOD​

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan add the lentils along with the ½ tsp turmeric powder and water. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Add a little more water if you feel it’s too thick. Turn the heat off and, with a potato masher or back of a fork, mash the dal slightly so it thickens. Leave to cool with the lid.

In a separate pan heat the oil on a medium heat and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Fry for 20 seconds then add half the curry leaves, Cinnamon. the green chillies and the chopped onion. Fry the onions until they begin to soften, about 4-5 minutes. Mash the green chillies slightly to release their seeds, which will lend a slight heat to the dish.

Now add the garlic and continue frying for a further 3 minutes. Add a pinch of turmeric powder and stir well for a few seconds. Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a minute. Add the cooked dal to this mix stir and add a pinch of sugar, and salt to taste. Simmer for 2 minutes.

Garnish with coriander. Serve warm with chapatti or rice.
 
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Looks very good. Yep its vegan. I love dal and make it often and you've got to have that 'tarka' on top! I'm not sure about the big quills of cinnamon on top though - I mean, they aren't really possible to eat.

Compare and contrast with one of mine! Recipe - Chana Tarka Dal
 
Looks very good. Yep its vegan. I love dal and make it often and you've got to have that 'tarka' on top! I'm not sure about the big quills of cinnamon on top though - I mean, they aren't really possible to eat.

Compare and contrast with one of mine! Recipe - Chana Tarka Dal
Oh yes the Cinnamon was only there for the pic to show off some of the ingredients, I promise I didn’t’ try to eat it 😋

Very nice pic on yours BTW:) Looks delicious!
 
I knew... I was just having a bit of fun. I've done all sorts of things in the quest for a good photo!
Ah ha! You slipped one by me then lol.
Yeah I’m working on the photography portion, it’s almost just as fun as the cooking and eating of the dish.
 
Looks good, although with the red lentils, I´ve always found it better if it´s more liquid, almost like a soup. The first process, cooking the lentils with the turmeric , just needs a bit more water and there´s no need for a masher; they almost dissolve. With the other ingredients, I´ve seen some (but not all) of them quick-fried in ghee, to make a tarka/tadka, or just put into the dhal near the end for extra flavour.
 
Thanks
Looks good, although with the red lentils, I´ve always found it better if it´s more liquid, almost like a soup. The first process, cooking the lentils with the turmeric , just needs a bit more water and there´s no need for a masher; they almost dissolve. With the other ingredients, I´ve seen some (but not all) of them quick-fried in ghee, to make a tarka/tadka, or just put into the dhal near the end for extra flavour.
Thanks for the tips! I actually don’t think I mashed these now that I think about it. but I do like my Dahl on the thicker side though.
I’ll probably experiment with different variations of this dish too, so many of them out there! :)
 
We do something very similar at our café. There's some shortcuts for commercial preps, but they don't really affect the quality. Personally, I prefer ghee as the cooking oil (not vegan), but coconut oil works well. We sell out quickly on the days this is a special.

Recipe - Masoor Dal
 
We do something very similar at our café. There's some shortcuts for commercial preps, but they don't really affect the quality. Personally, I prefer ghee as the cooking oil (not vegan), but coconut oil works well. We sell out quickly on the days this is a special.

Masoor Dal

2 lb masoor dal (red lentils)
2 yellow onions
2 tomatoes
25 g black mustard seeds
2 tbs turmeric
Oil
3 heaping tbs ginger garlic paste
2 tbs sambar powder plus 2 tbs rasam powder OR 4 tbs sambar poweder
Two to three bay leaves (depending on size)
Three handsful curry leaves
6 quarts water (variable)
Vegeta (variable)
2 lemons (variable)

Rinse dal thoroughly in a strainer and remove any foreign matter. Let drain.

Dice onions and tomato.

Heat oil in pot over medium flame, add mustard seeds. When they splutter and you get the aroma, add onions. Stir and cook until onions are softened (not brown), then add ginger garlic paste. Stir for a few seconds until you smell it. Then add tomatoes and turmeric. Stir until tomatoes are starting to soften, then add the sambar/rasam, and again stir until you smell it. Now add drained dal, stir, then add water, curry leaves, and bay leaves.

Bring to a boil, simmer until lentils have turned yellow and are soft. Add water as needed if things start getting too thick and dry. Remove bay leaves, then whir a bit with the stick blender until most of the lentils are broken down. Add the Vegeta until salt balance seems almost right but slightly undersalted. Add lemon juice, which should brighten the flavor and bring the salt balance up to correct. Add Vegeta if it doesn’t.
Thank you, I’d love to give this a shot and see how it turns out for me. Thank you for sharing this.
Funny how when you read the ingredients you can start to smell them:)
 
Thank you, I’d love to give this a shot and see how it turns out for me. Thank you for sharing this.
Funny how when you read the ingredients you can start to smell them:)
The other thing I'd do if I were making it for myself is to do a tarka at the end- hot oil, then dried red chilis (Guntur or similar), curry leaves, mustard seeds, and some whole sweet spice like clove or cardamom- then pour over the dal.
 
The other thing I'd do if I were making it for myself is to do a tarka at the end- hot oil, then dried red chilis (Guntur or similar), curry leaves, mustard seeds, and some whole sweet spice like clove or cardamom- then pour over the dal.
Yep! That's almost exactly what I did in my example cited above: Recipe - Chana Tarka Dal, except I used slivered garlic too.
 
This homemade Indian yellew lentil dhal recipe is fantastic! I made it for dinner last night, and it was a hit with my family. The spices were perfectly balanced, and the lentils were cooked to perfection. I especially loved the addition of the coconut milk, which added a creamy texture and subtle sweetness. I will definitely be making this recipe again and again. Thank you for sharing!
Dhal.jpg
 
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