Dahl-icious

Dahl is an essential dish. 

The east indian lentil dish comes in many different styles, textures and colours. The recipe that I have inherited and adapted over the years has been a hit in our house for a while. It was passed down from my grandmother and I have since learned from friends and other cooks and have tweaked it to deliciousness. I am up for this fragrant and nourishing lentil dish anyday. This dish is one that I eat year round, but it makes its presence in my life during the winter months, where lentils and rice feel more like a hug for my belly more than anything else. 

Traditionally, dahl is served along with basmati rice or bread. Growing up we ate dahl with roti - a pan cooked flat bread usually made from wheat and water. I remember my grandmother using her fingertips to rotate the bread on a pan to warm it and serve it fresh alongside curries, and dahl in particular. We would also eat it with rice (which is my preference). When I cook dahl, I opt for the vegetarian version though I will sometimes prepare it with pieces of lamb, goat or beef. 

I think food tastes better when we use our hands to feed ourselves, and many studies have shown that it is linked to greater nutritional benefits such as eating slower, chewing more, and the release of serotonin (the happy hormone) when eating (check this out) . My grandmother always said: “eating with your hands is acknowledging the utensils that God created within us”. I absolutely love eating dahl with my hands as it allows me to experience eating and feeding in a whole new way. I would encourage you to try it out! (be aware that your fingertips will turn yellow from the turmeric).

Given that the ingredients for this meal are easy and inexpensive to source makes it even greater of a dish. I feel as though when it comes to traditional cuisine, the time, ingredients and energy it takes to prepare them, costs us in time and money. Luckily this recipe makes it so that you can prepare and serve this dish in under an hour, including prep! Buying these ingredients and spices in bulk makes this dish budget and belly friendly. 

For my dahl I use either my Instant Pot, or a pressure cooker, though you could make this on a stovetop using a regular pot, keeping in mind that it would take longer. Like many indian dishes, there are a few steps involved in assembling this dish and the order in which they are prepared affects the textures and flavour compositions. In the recipe below, I have divided the recipe into three sections to make it a little easier to follow along (hopefully). The first part covers preparation of the lentils, the second outlines the flavour base (or tarka), and the third outlines the rice. 

Recipe:

Time: 30-40 min 

Recipe (serves 4-6 humans) 

INgredients
DAHL: 

2-3 tablespoons Oil (coconut or olive)

1 Cup Red Lentils 

1 Cup Moong Dahl (Yellow Lentils) 

1 tsp Corriander powder

1.5 tsp Cumin powder

1 tsp Chilli flakes (adjust depending on spice tolerance)

half tsp chilli powder

1.5 tsp Salt 

1 tsp Turmeric powder

1-2 tblsp Ginger/garlic paste  

1 big onion finely chopped

1 tsp garam masala 

1 can tomato paste OR 1 fresh tomato blended and strained

3-4 curry leaves 

2 tsp toasted cumin seeds 

1 bunch of cilantro/fresh coriander for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Dahl Part 1: 

1. Start by soaking your lentils in some warm water for a min of 30 min. This will remove any residue from the lentils, as well as prepare it to cook to a tender shape. 

2. Set 6-8 cups of water in a pot and bring to a boil (set aside once the water has boiled) 

3. While the lentils soak, combine in a small bowl the coriander powder, chilli flakes, salt, cumin powder, chilli powder, and tumeric.

4. Once the lentils have soaked, washed thoroughly, and strained, heat olive or coconut oil in your Instant Pot/pressure cooker. Once the pot and oil have warmed up (make sure not to let the oil smoke) add the lentils to the pot and stir using a wooden spatula. At this stage you may need to adjust the temperature of the pot so that the lentils do not stick to the bottom of the pot. This step is meant to slowly prepare the lentils for cooking. 

5. After about 1-2 min of warming the lentils, add the tarka mix to the lentils and mix well, incorporating the spices with all the lentils. Stir well on medium heat for 2-5 min. 

6. Add hot water that was boiled slowly to the lentils and mix well.

7. Once the lentils in the water starts to boil, add the tomato paste/strained tomato to the pot. 

8. Put the lid on the instant pot/ pressure cooker and set it to the “pressure cook” option for 12 min. 

Part 2: The Tarka (flavour base for the curry) 

1. Heat a pan (I like to use a cast iron pan for this step as it will evenly cook and heat) on med-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the cumin seeds and toast them until fragrant and dark. Set them aside in a separate bowl. 

2. To the same pan, on med-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the diced onion. Caramelize the onions until they get golden brown and slightly crispy. Turn the heat off and add the ginger garlic paste, curry leaves, garam masala and toasted cumin seeds, and mix. 

3. Once the pressure cooker has tenderized/cooked the lentils, add the tarqa to the pot of lentils and cook for 30 min on low heat, stirring often. The dahl is then ready to eat. 

Ingredients

Palow Rice

2 cups Basmati rice 

1 Cinnamon stick 

3-5 Cloves

3 Cardamom pods 

1-2 tablespoons Ghee or olive oil 

1 tsp Cumin seeds 

Directions

Part three : Palow

Using the instant pot:

1. Add equal parts warm water and rice to the pot (so in this case, 2 cups water, 2 cups rice). 

2. Add ghee/olive oil, cloves, cardamom, cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaf to the rice. 

3. Put the lid on and cook on the rice setting until rice is fluffy. 

Note: you can also opt in to make the rice on a stovetop or ordinary rice cooker.  

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Serve warm rice topped with fragrant dahl and garnish with fresh, chopped cilantro. Dahl-icious :) 

I would love to hear about what you thought of this recipe if you prepare your own dahl -  let me know!