When I was younger, my friends would complain that their mums always cooked the same things. One schoolmate ate a roast sandwich for lunch every day. Another girlfriend of mine confided in me that in her house, each day had an assigned dish: Mondays were for fish and chips, Tuesdays were bangers and mash, etc.
In my family, we ate a lot of Daal, the Indian word for lentils, but I never complained! There are four different types of lentils, and each can be prepared in many ways with a variety of flavours. This was useful for my Mum who tried to vary our menu.
I like my Daal spicy, but I tend to tone it down a bit when cooking for friends. Out of the many lentil recipes that I enjoy, I want to share this Tangy Red Daal with you. It isn’t quite as soupy as this hearty lentil and herb soup, but it is nice served with a bit of rice. I call it tangy because it has a bit of a kick, but it doesn’t sting your tastebuds, as other recipes might.
Ingredients:
- 200g red lentils
- 10g ginger
- 5g mustard seeds
- 10g fresh coriander, chopped
- 3 tomatoes
- 3 onions
- 1 jalapeño pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 5g ground cumin
- 5g cayenne pepper
- 6 cloves garlic
- 30ml olive oil
- 250ml water
- salt and pepper
Preparation Method:
- Sort the red lentils on a white counter or table cloth to pick out any rocks or small pieces of dirt mixed in.
- When finished, rinse in cold water. Bring water to the boil and add lentils. Semi-cover and let cook for 35 minutes or so until the lentils are soft.
- Meanwhile, chop the onions, jalapeño pepper, garlic, ginger, bell pepper and tomatoes.
- In a large frying pan, heat the oil and add the onion, garlic, ginger and peppers. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until onions are translucent and garlic is soft.
- Add the cumin and cayenne pepper. Stir.
- Add the tomatoes and keep stirring for another 6 minutes or so until the tomatoes are fairly well-cooked.
- Transfer the vegetables into a big pot and add just enough hot water to cover the contents of the pot. Let boil for 6 minutes and then add the cooked lentils, stirring well.
- Add salt and coriander to taste.
- Pour into a bowl and garnish with coriander. Serve warm.
Serves: 6
Time: 75 minutes
Less than 90 mins / Main Courses / Meal for 6 people —
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