Well, I didn’t think it would take a global pandemic to get me blogging again, but…here we are. I won’t rehash the stuff everyone is saying and what we’re all thinking, you’re seeing that everywhere as it is – all I will say is, you will hear no complaints here, only gratitude. Gratitude for my health, gratitude that I have a home to shelter in and that I have job security, gratitude that I’m not sheltering alone, and gratitude that I have plenty of food to cook and eat.
Like many of you, I’ve been cooking a lot over the last couple weeks, and have also gotten creative with what’s been available and what I have on hand. Some of the things I’ve made include: a big batch of Nonni’s sauce, mushroom “risoni” (thanks Trader Joe’s, once again, for introducing me to something I didn’t know existed since all the pasta and rice were gone), oat and chia granola (while tasty, it’s too crumbly/doesn’t stick together well), cauliflower and zucchini pakora, and flaky biscuits.
One of the favorite new things I made, though, was a delicious and easy red lentil dal.
One of my many mini-projects while staying at home was to go through all my old cooking magazines (by ALL I mean roughly 75 Cook’s Illustrated, Food & Wine, Better Homes & Gardens, etc) and organize all my recipes in my trusty binder…I know, I know, you’re so jealous of my cool lifestyle. I stumbled across this dal recipe I had snipped out from F&W, and it spoke to me because red lentils is something I have a surplus of in my pantry. Especially now that I’m home during the work day, I found this was simple enough to whip up for a weekday lunch while taking a much-needed break from my laptop – so I hope you’ll try it!
Red Lentil Dal
I was actually a bit skeptical at whether this red lentil dal would be flavorful enough given how few spices were in this recipe, compared to many other Indian recipes I’ve tried – but it was perfect. I did modify the recipe slightly in a few ways based on what I had on hand and knowing I wanted it to be thicker (vs soupier) – feel free to tweak based on your own pantry and tastes. I didn't have asparagus, so I didn't include.
Ingredients
- 1 c red lentils
- 3 1/4 c water
- 1/4 tsp turmeric separated
- 3 Tbsp coconut or vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds if you have yellow, the original recipe calls for them – but my brown were fine! I did a heaping 1/2 tsp
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds heaping
- 1 tsp ground coriander I love this spice so I upped the original amount
- 1/2 jalapeño pepper, sliced remove the ribs and seeds if you want less spice, or omit completely
- 3 garlic cloves, minced/pressed
- 1 large shallot or small onion, sliced
- 2 tsp tamarind paste dissolve the tamarind paste in 1 Tbsp water – if you don't have tamarind paste, substitute 1 T lemon or lime juice
- salt to taste
Instructions
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Add the lentils and the water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that develops and stir in 1/8 tsp of the turmeric until incorporated. Lower the heat and simmer the lentils over low heat until softened, which could take as little as 15 minutes (start checking at that time).
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While the lentils are cooking, mince the garlic and slice the shallot, and get your spices together. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, until almost shimmering, then add the mustard seeds. Be sure to shake the pan a bit so the heat is evenly distributed, and listen for them to start popping, about 1 minute. Add the fennel seeds, ground coriander, the remaining 1/8 tsp turmeric, jalapeño, garlic and onion to the pan, stirring to coat all the spices in the oil – and cook over medium-low heat until the shallot has softened, about 8 minutes.
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When the lentils are done cooking and the garlic/shallot/spice mixture in the skillet is soft and fragrant, add the lentils to the skillet, add the tamarind paste (or lemon juice), and stir everything together to combine well. I cranked the heat up in the skillet for another minute or two to evaporate off just a bit more moisture and let the flavors really combine.
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Season with salt to taste, and serve over rice or with naan.
Recipe Notes
Pro tip: Do not, under any circumstances, cut up your pepper and then touch your eyeball. Does this seem obvious? Just thought I’d remind you out of an abundance of caution…that you may learn from my error. Clearly I didn’t wash my hands well enough; on the flip side, I did learn that pouring copious amounts of milk in your eye and soaking a paper towel in milk and holding it there like a compress helps. The more you know!
If you’re interested in another delicious Indian recipe, check out this Chicken Tikka Masala – a bit too involved for a weekday lunch, perhaps, but weeknight dinner? No problem.
Kristen says
I have some red lentils on hand so will try this dal recipe. Haha I also bought some of that TJ Risoni bc I hadn’t seen that one before but have yet to try. Thanks for getting back to your blog…. I’ve missed your great posts! 🙂 xoxo
Annie says
i bought that risoni because all the regular rice and pasta were gone – but it was actually pretty good. i did think of you when i picked it up 🙂
Brian Bentson says
I’ve been a lentil fan for a long time. Since eating more healthy I have lots of red lentils on hand. I grow my own peppers.
Thanks for posting this!!
YUM!!
❤️👍❤️
Annie says
red lentils are so good – and so fast to prepare! what kind of peppers are you growing?
Brian Bentson says
Chili and Bells
Michael Pecoraro says
Hi Annie,
You are an animal. I mean that in the very nicest way. You are awesome. I am inspired by your posts. Enjoy!!!
Annie says
haha a cooking animal, maybe! i’ll take it.
Mary says
I’m interested in those biscuits! Everything looks deelish
Annie says
these are a half-batch of king arthur flour’s baking powder biscuits (https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/baking-powder-biscuits-recipe) – they have a helpful article they link to which also talks about substitutions which was nice because i didn’t have any milk…only nonfat greek yogurt. still worked like a charm!