Make it at Home: Indian Dahl
Bland food just doesn’t do it for me. If I’m cooking or eating at a restaurant, I prefer dishes with more complex and strong flavors over simpler, subtler options. Don’t get me wrong, I can appreciate food that tastes good without a lot of dressing up, but overall I love a good flavor punch in the face. Indian food has been a favorite of mine since I discovered my love for all things spicy as a teenager. As much as I love eating it at a restaurant where experienced chef’s have prepared it and it usually tastes amazing, it’s not always the healthiest option.
I’ve taken to making curries at home from scratch so I can control what goes in the dishes and reduce the fat content. Not to say that fat isn’t necessary, because it is, but I prefer to use good fats like olive or coconut oils in moderation. For instance, this recipe which my Dahl is based on, calls for 1/2 cup of vegetable oil to sautee the onions and garlic in which in my opinion is a little overkill. I used about a tablespoon of olive oil instead and it still tasted amazing. My advice is, don’t be afraid to tinker with recipes to suit them to your needs. Unless you add something odd or remove something integral it’s pretty difficult to mess up a good home cooked meal.
So here’s my version of the Dahl recipe. It does take about an hour to make, but it’s really worth it and it freezes very well for lunches and future dinners. I added tomatoes and fresh ginger as per the recommendation of The Kitchn which is one of my new fave cooking blogs. All the photos in the post are taken by them as my camera is packed away somewhere.
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small hot pepper, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil
1 cup dried red lentils
1-2 cups vegetable broth or water
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium can of diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp lemon juice
1 large handful of chopped fresh spinach (or 1/2 cup frozen)
Sautee onion, garlic and chilies in oil until onions are semi translucent.
Add all the spices and the lentils and stir to combine.
Pour enough water or stock to cover the mixture and let bring to a boil. Stir often.
Turn down heat and let simmer. Continue to stir often. When most of the liquid is absorbed by the lentils, add the can of tomatoes and lemon juice. (You may need to add a little more water here if the lentils are still a bit hard)
Simmer until the lentils are mushy and most of the excess liquid has been cooked down. You can use your judgement here, depending on what consistency you prefer.
At the last minute, add the spinach and stir until it has wilted.
Serve on top of basmati or brown rice and enjoy!
