SOULFOOD: DHAL CURRY

This is an oldie but a goodie. Dhal has to be India’s most favourite staple food. Mine too. It’s an easy, flavourful lentil curry that is a must-try if you’re looking for a subtly spiced Indian dish. I made mine using @saikavfoods split-pea dhal, garlic, onions, chillies and ghee. I serve this hot, heaped on a bed of rice.
Sometimes we devour it with pickles, other times, I’m perfectly content, to enjoy this fragrant dish on its own.

Make everything in advance and have a great lunch waiting for you in the fridge next time you’re too busy. It encapsulates the taste of home.

An easy, delicious dhal curry that is cooked in one pot. Can be made vegan, using vegan butter or oil instead of ghee.

With the combination of warming spices, this flavourful, hearty Indian dish can be made with a variety of other ingredients, especially vegetables to add more texture and wholesomeness to the dish. A squeeze of lemon adds a lovely brightness and taste to the dish.

For variety, meat or chicken pieces can also be used. This will call for another recipe, though.
If you’re interested, always leave a comment.

DHAL CURRY

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Ingredients

  

• ghee
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 2-3 dry red chillies (depends how hot you like it)
• a few curry leaves
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp fennel seeds
• ½ tsp jeera seeds
• 2-3 fresh garlic cloves (peeled)
• 1 tomato (diced)
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 cup red lentils (washed)
• 1 can saikav split pea lentils (dhal)
• freshly chopped coriander

Instructions

 

• Heat a little ghee in a large saucepan.
• Fry onion, whole spices, and chillies until fragrant.
• Add in the garlic and curry leaves
• Sauté for 30 seconds
• Add in the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add in the turmeric and washed red lentils.
• Stir.
• Pour 3 cups of boiling water, salt to taste and allow lentils to cook until soft to the touch.
• Ensure that you always have liquid in your pot.
• Lentils must not dry out.
• When red lentils are cooked through, add in the can of split-pea dhal.
• Using a hand blender, blend the dhal in the pot until smooth.
• Place dhal back onto low heat and stir
• Tadka (tempering)
• Now in another small pan, heat a little ghee
• Add in 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 2 dry red chillies, 1/2 tsp jeera seeds, 1/2 tsp turmeric and curry leaves.
• Fry until the mustard seeds start to pop and the ghee becomes foamy.
• Pour the tadka onto the blended dhal.
• Simmer for 2 minutes.
• Garnish with freshly chopped coriander