| ‘Red Lentil Dal’ is one of those meals – no matter how many times you cook it, it always tastes a little different. But that is the beauty of this recipe. It is a wonderful base for each individual to make their own mark on it. The use of simple ingredients and carefully selected spices in this meal encapsulates the wisdom of Ayurvedic cooking, while making it accessible to even the most novice chef. No matter how bad your day or long the week, a steaming bowl of warm, comforting dal will keep you grounded and content. |
| When all the ingredients are cooked together, they become well combined and easy to digest. This type of ‘one pot wonder’ meal is exactly what the digestive system loves to receive. Over time, eating these light, soft and easy to digest meals will increase energy and improve digestive strength. ‘Red Lentil Dal’ can be enjoyed at any occasion, but is particularly useful when when you are feeling under the weather or recovering from an illness. |
| Ingredients |
| 2 pinch BLACK PEPPER |
| 1/4 tsp CARDAMOM |
| 2 pinch CAYENNE PEPPER |
| 8 g CILANTRO |
| 1/2 tsp CINNAMON |
| 1/2 tsp CLOVES |
| 1 tsp CUMIN |
| 2 clove GARLIC |
| 1/2 inch GINGER (FRESH) |
| 2 pinch GREEN CHILIS |
| 1 whole LIME |
| 1/2 c RED LENTILS (MASOOR DAL) |
| 1/2 tsp SALT (MINERAL SALT) |
| 3 tbsp OLIVE OIL |
| 2 whole TOMATO |
| 1/2 tsp TURMERIC |
| 3 c WATER |
| 1 tbsp YELLOW ONION |
| Instructions |
| No Indian meal is complete without dal or rice. Bengali’s use a variety of different lentils cooked with many different spices. Feel free to experiment. |
| 1. Soak the lentils in water for 2-12 hours. Then drain and rinse well. |
| 2. Fill water to twice the height of the lentil. Add salt & pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer over low heat for 60 minutes. |
| 3. Cut tomatoes into wedges and add. |
| 4. Fry onions in 2 tbsp sunflower oil. Add garlic at the end because it burns quickly. |
| 5. Mix into daal. |
| 6. In a separate frying pan, make a paste with the spices and fry in the remaining oil. Add to lentils. |
| 7. Cook, keeping at a simmer adding some water every now and then. The lentils are done when they have completely melted and the soup is smooth, blended and watery. This typically takes 60 minutes of simmering. Garnish with lime and fresh cilantro. |
Anna Godfrey 