Is it any wonder that dhal is so popular throughout India and the Middle East? It’s cheap, easy to make, nutritious and oh so delicious. There are many different recipes ranging from plain and simple to hot and spicy. This one is somewhere in between.
What I love about this particular dhal is the bright colours in the dish—yellow from the lentils and turmeric, red from the chilli and tomato, and bright green from the fresh coriander. Dhal at the local Indian takeaway can look so drab (and be quite bland)—a big bowl of yellow lentils—but this recipe makes an attractive dish that’s full of flavour. Another plus, dhal is gluten free.
What you need:
100g moong dhal (split yellow mung beans)
200g red lentils
850ml water
60ml vegetable oil
2 brown onions, finely chopped
1½ tsp ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 long red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
4 tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and diced
2 handfuls of fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
Freshly ground salt and pepper
To peel the tomatoes:
Bring a pot of water to the boil. Cut a cross in the skin at the bottom of each tomato and place in the boiling water for 30 seconds, until the skin starts to peel away. Drain and chill in cold water to stop the tomatoes cooking. Remove from the water and simply peel the skins away.
To make the dhal:
Wash the dhal and lentils thoroughly and drain. Place in a deep saucepan and cover with around 850ml water. Add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and stir frequently for 15–20 minutes, or until the dhal and lentils are soft. Most of the liquid should be absorbed during this process.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frypan over medium heat and sauté the onions for around 10 minutes, until golden brown. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well and cook gently for five minutes, or until the tomato is soft. Stir in the dhal mixture and season to taste.
Serve with rice and pappadums.