If you are intimidated by cooking Indian food, this is a great place to start. Dal is packed with protein and nutrients, easy to make, and full of flavor. It’s sort of a mix between soup and curry, definitely as comforting as either!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup orange dried lentils, washed & drained.
- 1/2-1 serrano chile
- 1 tomato
- 1/2 red or white onion
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp garam masala (optional)
- 1 tsp salt, add more to taste
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tbsp minced ginger
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1-2 dried chillis (optional)
- Handful of cilantro
Directions:
- Start by cooking your chopped onions in a bit of oil on medium-low heat. After about 5 minutes, add in your garlic, ginger, and serrano for 1 minute.
- Add in your chopped tomatoes, and the chili powder, turmeric, coriander, garam masala, and salt. Cook for another few minutes.
- Add your lentils and about 3 cups of water. You may need to adjust the water or add more later. If you have a pressure cooker, set the timer to 10 minutes. Otherwise, you can cook on the stovetop at a simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once your dal resembles a porridge-like consistency, you can make the tadka. Heat up some butter in a separate pan with your dried chilies, garlic, and cumin seeds. Make sure to not burn the butter, you really just want to infuse the flavors into the butter.
- Pour this into your dal and add in fresh cilantro. Serve with paratha, naan, rice, or have it on its own!
