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Dal dish

Dal is the Indian name for lentils, includinng red split lentils. You can make a dal dish wiht the consistency of a soup or thicker, to serve as a wholesome vegetarian stew.

Ingredients

2 T ghee
1 onion (medium, finely chopped)
1 clv garlic (finely chopped)
1 T ginger (fresh ginger, grated)
1 T garam masala (see below)
  salt (to taste)
5 c water
1 c lentils (red split lentils, dal)

Instructions

In a deep pan, heat ghee and cook onion for a couple of minutes, until it softens a little. Then add onion, ginger, garlic, garam masala and salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add dal to the pan and quickly mix with the onion and spices. For a soup, pour 4 cups of water, for a thicker dish, use only 2.

Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, adding more water when necessary, or until dal lentils are very soft.

Serve immediately or, for a soup, use a food processor to make a thick puree.

Total time
40 minutes
Cooking time
30
Preparation time
10
Yield
4 servings

Notes

There is no need to soak red split lentils.

Garam masala for a dal dish: 1 tsp cumin seed or 1/2 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp coriander seed or 1/2 tsp ground coriander;1 cardamom, toasted and crushed; 1 pinch ground turmeric; 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon mustard seed, toasted and crushed.

Source

You can add other vegetables. Spinach, tomatoes, potatoes are common additions in Indian cuisine. Carrots, with their sweet taste, give the dish a deeper color and a more interesting taste.

Indian cuisine

easy, comfort, beans
simmering, side dish
recipes from India
Food in Asia