Author Notes
There are too many lentil dishes (called "dal") prepared in India to count! This is a simple but tasty variation commonly prepared in the Indian state of West Bengal. It has a great buttery and slightly spicy taste. It is a great source of protein and quick to prepare. It can be served with other vegetable, fish or meat dishes. Instead of rice, it can be accompanied by an Indian bread. —CafeAnna
Ingredients
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1/2 cup
yellow mung lentils (easy to find in an Indian grocery shop)
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1 teaspoon
Tumeric powder
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1 1/2 cups
Water
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1 teaspoon
Fresh ginger grated
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1 piece
Fresh ginger about an inch cut into slivers
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1 tablespoon
Vegetable oil
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1 tablespoon
Olive oil
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1 teaspoon
Brown mustard seeds
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1
Green chili pepper with a slit on its side
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1 teaspoon
Salt
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1 cup
Cooked rice
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1 handful
Cilantro for garnish
Directions
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Wash the lentils with about 3 changes of water. Add the lentils to a medium size pot and stir in the tumeric. Add water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium, and with a large spoon, skim off any foam that forms at the top of the pot. Stir in the grated ginger. Cover and simmer on low for about 10-15 minutes or until the lentils are soft. When the lentils appear soft, add salt and remove from heat.
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While the lentils are simmering, in a small skillet add the oils together and heat on medium. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, chili pepper and slivers of ginger. (Careful, if the oil is too hot they will splutter a lot!) This is a very quick process where the spices are only in the oil for about 1 minute. Be careful not to burn the spices.
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Stir the lentils from the pot into the skillet and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
Turn off the heat, transfer the lentils to a serving dish and garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with rice as part of a meal.
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