Brown lentils cooked with Indian spices
Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
500g brown lentils (wash and soak for at least half an hour)
1 tsp butter ghee (or any other cooking oil)
1 medium size onion (sliced)
2 medium size tomatoes (chopped)
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
Salt
2tsp chilli powder
½ tsp haldi powder(turmeric powder)
2-3 pieces amchoor (dried raw mango slices)
If not available use ½ tsp lemon juice
Garnishings:
2 tbsp Butter ghee
½ onion sliced
2 tsp zeera (cumin seeds)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 dried red chilli (optional)
A handful of mint leaves (finely chopped)
2 green chillies chopped
A small piece of ginger (grated or julienne)
Method:
For this recipe you can use a pot or a pressure cooker. Fry onions light brown in the cooking oil then add tomatoes and the other spices- salt chilli powder, haldi powder and ginger garlic paste. Fry for few minutes until tomatoes are mashed. Add previously soaked lentils and amchoor (if using). If you are adding lemon juice instead, leave it for now and add it when mixing in the garnishing in the end. Pour 2 cups of water (approximately). Cover and simmer cook. If using a pot it will take approximately 35-40 minutes. Make sure there’s enough water to continue the boiling process. You can always add more if needed. In the pressure cooker, after one whistle leave it on low medium flame for about 15 minutes.
After the lentils are cooked stir in gently using a whisk. This will help thicken the consistency of the daal. Do not mash the daal completely.
Add-mint leaves, grated ginger and chopped green chillies and let it cook for few more minutes (about 10 minutes). At this point adjust the consistency of the daal. If its too runny continue cooking on low medium to the desired consistency. On the other hand if its thicker than needed, add some boiling water and simmer for few minutes.
When the daal is ready and whilst its hot, use butter ghee and fry the sliced onion, chopped garlic, dried red chilli and cumin seeds (as mentioned in the garnishing) and pour on the daal.
Serve with kachumbar (mixed salad with lemon dressing), mint&tamarind chutney and zeera rice/roti
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