I recently started writing for health and wellness site Balance Garden, and this was my first recipe. The brief was for vegan or veggie dishes, and although I’m not either myself, I do cook a lot of meat-free meals and was up for the challenge. I got to work raiding my ideas cabinet and came up with this.
I make this dhal quite frequently but I still cooked about five kilos of the stuff in the recipe testing phase! Luckily I had a group of friends coming over for a playdate and lunch so everything was devoured.
You can read the full article here.
Ingredients
DAHL
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 thumb of ginger, finely grated
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp curry powder (whichever heat you prefer)
1 tin of tomatoes (400g)
250g red lentils, thoroughly rinsed until water runs clear
900-1000mls of hot water
Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large saucepan heat the oil then fry the onion on a medium heat for around 5-8 minutes, until golden brown.
- Add the ginger and garlic and fry for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly to ensure it doesn’t burn.
- Add the curry powder and fry off for another 30-60 seconds.
- Next add the tinned tomatoes. If they are whole, chop in the tin with either a pair of scissors or a knife. Stir these into the saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Now add the lentils and 900mls of hot water, stirring well. Bring to a boil then reduce to a low heat and cover for around 30-35 minutes until the lentils are cooked, again stirring occasionally. It is important to keep an eye on them throughout. If they have absorbed all the liquid, just add a bit more water as you go (100mls at a time). Different brands can take longer to cook so you may have to adjust your cooking time accordingly and add more water if necessary.
- Once cooked, season to taste. Serve with fresh coriander and your accompaniment of choice.