Two factors have brought Dal into heavy rotation in my house recently. The first are these very cool, dry November days in Sofia and the second is as Im nearing completion of my Ayurveda studies, Dal is such a beautiful dish to play and experiment with the various spices used in Ayurvedic cooking.
Ive tried a lot of recipes over the last month and I have finally landed on what, to me, is the perfect balance of texture, spice, acidity and deliciousness. Ive found that Dal can be a delicate dance between too spicy and not spiced enough, too stodgy or too soupy, too earthy or too acidy!
You will obviously have your own opinion on these things and thats kind of the beauty of Dal, its so versatile its a really easy dish to play around with and find your perfect balance of flavors which you love. And once you find it, its such a nice recipe to have in your repertoire as its so nourishing, really cheap and very cheerful!
Simple Green Lentil Dal | Recipe
{Serves 4 lightly and 2 heartily!}
- 250g Green Lentils
- 1 400g tin of Coconut Milk (full fat!!)
- 2 fat cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- Olive Oil, Ghee or Coconut Oil (your fat of choice!)
- Half a Courgette, sliced into discs and then sliced down the middle into three pieces
- A big, flavorful tomato (or a 3-4 vine tomatoes)
- Handful raw cashews
- Juice of Half a Lemon
- Maldon Salt Flakes and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Get your spices together and chop up the garlic. Measure out the lentils and open the tin of coconut milk. If youre using Ghee or Coconut Oil melt this in a large pot on a medium heat or drizzle your olive oil in be sure to coat the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is hot, add your garlic and saut for about a minute (if the garlic browns turn the heat down so you dont burn the spices). Add the spices in with the garlic and mix with the oil with a wooden spoon so the spices are glossy and fragrant (about 30 seconds).
Add in the lentils and coat with the spices. Pour in the coconut milk and mix. Fill your coconut milk tin with water, add this to your pot and mix. Bring to the boil and then bring down to a simmer, uncovered to cook for about 30-45 minutes. Stir regularly to avoid the lentils sticking to the bottom of the pan.
While the Dal is simmering, turn on the oven to 190 (c) degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Slice your courgette into thick discs and then slice into three pieces length ways. Arrange on the baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle a few flakes of Maldon Sea Salt on each piece of courgette (this makes the flavor of the courgette come alive so dont skip the salt!). Pop into the oven and roast for about 15 mins. After 15 minutes add your cashews to the baking tray and roast for a further 5 minutes to toast the cashews. While the courgettes are in the oven, slice and dice your tomato adding this to your pot of Dal after 20 minutes. Juice the lemon!
The lentils will be cooked after about 30 mins. If youd like the consistency to be less soupy, cook for 10-15 minutes more to reduce the liquid.
Spoon the Dal into bowls, top with the courgette and sprinkle in the cashews. Season with the lemon juice, Maldon salt and lots of freshly cracked black pepper to taste!
I sincerely hope you love this recipe Please let me know if you try this at home and any additions youve made to suit your taste
XXX Alex