Il dahl of lentils it's a Indian dish very spicy that you can serve as a soup or as a side dish, perhaps accompanied by a seasonal vegetable stew. In the preparation of the lentil dahl, theturmeric andginger and the Indian spice mix we call in your country curry.
Dahl is an alternative idea for cooking and serving lentils all year round, but you will especially love it in the winter months, as ginger is a warming spice.
Here's how to make your own lentil dahl at home, starting at peeled red lentils.
Ingredients for people 2
250 gr of peeled red lentils
500 ml of water or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 small piece of fresh ginger
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon of curry
1 tablespoon of chopped coriander leaves
1 pinch of black pepper
1 pinch of powdered ginger
1 carrot
Preparation
For the preparation of this prescription choose peeled red lentils: no soaking required, they cook in a short time and are more digestible for those who are not used to eating legumes. Alternatively, if you find them easily, you can use yellow lentils. Red lentils can be found in supermarkets, organic food stores and fair trade shops. Sometimes in supermarkets you can buy them in bulk, paying only the amount you need by weight.
Wash the carrot, peel it and chop it. If it is organic, simply brush it and use the peel as well. Chop the carrot together with a small piece of fresh ginger, after peeling it, on the cutting board. In a pan, heat two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and cook the two ingredients over medium heat for a few minutes, like in a sauté. If for your taste the flavor of fresh ginger is too strong, do not use it in this recipe, but just season the lentils with a pinch of powdered ginger. You can also replace fresh ginger with a small shallot.
In the meantime, pour half a liter of water into a large pot (with the addition of a pinch of whole salt only towards the end of cooking the lentils), or some vegetable broth, and bring to a boil. Add the red lentils, turmeric, curry, ginger powder, chopped coriander and a pinch of black pepper.
Mix well and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes. The lentils will have to soften and will begin to flake. Thanks to turmeric and curry they will take on a nice bright yellow color. At the end of cooking they will have absorbed almost all of the water or broth that you used. Only if needed, add a little more liquid while cooking. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent the lentils from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
When they are ready, pour them into the pan in which you prepared the ginger and carrots. Turn on the stove over low heat and mix everything well. Taste and if you want, add a little more black pepper, herbs or spices to flavor. You can decide to whisk a part of the lentil dahl before serving in soup plates or bowls. Accompany the lentil dahl with homemade croutons or dal chapati, typical Indian bread.
A little one variant for those who love stronger flavors: together with ginger and carrot you can brown a small chopped shallot in a pan and then add it all to the lentils, as explained in this recipe. Furthermore, in India it is usually more frequent to use sesame oil than extra virgin olive oil for cooking and condiments, but in this case we have partially adapted the recipe to the customs of your country's cuisine.
Serve the lentil dahl decorating the plates with leaves of fresh or dried coriander (Dried cilantro is easily found alongside the most common herbs in your city at the supermarket or bio store, while fresh cilantro is usually never lacking in ethnic stores.) As an alternative to coriander you can choose parsley: the overall taste of the dish will be more delicate and Mediterranean.
Read also:
10 veg recipes based on lentils
Lentil and amaranth tartlets
Purifying soup of red lentils, turmeric and ginger
