Spiced Onion Dahl Recipes

Steps:

• Heat ghee in a medium pot over medium-high. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned around the edges, 5-7 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring often, just to take the edge off garlic, about 30 seconds. Add 1/3 cup water and simmer, stirring occasionally, until water evaporates, about 1 minute. Add split peas, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 4 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until split peas are very tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 12-14 minutes; season with salt. Cover with a lid and keep dal warm over low heat while you make the toppings.
• Finely grate zest from lime into a small bowl. Cut lime in half and squeeze juice into bowl (you'll have about 2 Tbsp.). Add red onion, sugar, and a large pinch of salt and toss, squeezing onion with your hands to help it soften quickly.
• Mix yogurt and 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl; season with salt.
• Serve dal over rice drizzled with salty yogurt and topped with onion and pepper.
• Dal (without yogurt and onion) can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.

Steps:

• Soak the beans in cold water for 4 hrs (or overnight, if you like).
• Melt the butter or ghee in a large pan, then add the onions, garlic and ginger, and cook slowly for 10-15 mins until the onions are starting to caramelise. Stir in the spices, coriander stalks and 100ml water. Pour into the slow cooker (or leave in the pan if cooking on the hob). Add the passata and whole red chilli. Drain the beans and add these too, then top up with 400ml water. Season well, set the slow cooker to Low and cook for 5-6 hrs (or cover and cook for 2 hrs over a very low heat on the hob).
• Once cooked, the dhal should be very thick and the beans tender. Stir in the cream, check the seasoning and serve in bowls with naan bread, rice or in a jacket potato, with your choice of toppings. To freeze the dhal, cool completely, then divide into containers or sandwich bags. Freeze for up to 2 months, defrost and heat thoroughly before eating.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, heat oil, and sauté onion until softened. Add sweet potato, and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add minced ginger and garlic; stir, and reduce heat to low.
• Finely dice chili, keeping seeds if you wish to add more heat. Add chili, lentils, coriander, cumin, turmeric and ground ginger to pan. Stir until lentils are well coated with oil. Add tomatoes and 4 cups water. Raise heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat until mixture is at a fast simmer. Cook uncovered until lentils and potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt, and continue to simmer until mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes. Whisk dal to amalgamate lentils and sweet potatoes. If dal is too soupy, increase heat and cook for a little longer.
• To serve, place dal in a serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. If desired, shave thin strips of fresh coconut on top. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Cook the lentils by boiling or pressure cooking until lentils are soft. (Pressure cooking is faster.)
• In a skillet heat the oil and add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds begin to flutter, add onions, ginger, jalapeno peppers, and garlic. Saute until the onions and garlic are golden brown. Add coriander and cumin. Add chopped tomatoes. Saute the mixture well until tomatoes are well cooked.
• Add water. Boil 6 minutes. Add cooked lentils, stirring well. Add salt to taste, stirring well. Add finely chopped cilantro and remove from heat. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Place lentils in a colander and rinse under running cold tap water.
• Add lentils to a medium-sized, but deep, saucepan.
• For each cup of lentils, add 2 cups of water to the saucepan.
• Bring to the boil, turn heat down, and simmer 10 to 20 minutes.
• Do not allow lentils to become mushy- they should still be'al dente'.
• Drain when cooked.
• Melt ghee or butter over a medium flame.
• Add onions, garlic and ginger, and saute until onions are soft and light brown in colour.
• Add spices and salt, and cook a couple of minutes until lightly fried and bubbling.
• Add dahl, and stir well.
• Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water.
• Cook over low heat for 15 minutes, or until gravy thickens, stirring from time to time so that the dahl doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Add more water if necessary, or if a thinner dahl is desired.
• Garnish with fresh cilantro to serve.
• Variation: Add two chopped tomatoes with the onions.

Steps:

• Take your water and cook the yellow split peas, split white gram, yellow moong dal, and red lentils along with the ginger and salt until they are soft, approximately 30 minutes.
• In a separate saucepan, heat your oil and add the cumin seeds-as the seeds begin to splutter, add the minced garlic and tomatoes and sauté for a few minutes just they begin to cook.
• Next, add the salt and other spices and thoroughly combine.
• Then, take the beans (including the water you cooked them in) and add them to the saucepan.
• Cook for 3 minutes, and serve.
• Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and a spoonful of yogurt if you choose to.
• Can also serve with your choice of breads as well.

Steps:

• Heat oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, dukkah, garam masala, and garlic; cook and stir until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in sweet potatoes; cook until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Pour vegetable broth into the pot; stir in lentils and cilantro. Simmer, partially covered, until lentils are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Add spinach; simmer until wilted, about 5 minutes more. Season dahl with black pepper.