Dal is, basically, Indian lentil stew / soup. There are several different kinds of lentils you can use - brown lentils (the kind sold with the dried beans and rice in grocery stores), French green lentils, and delicate red lentils. Any of type of lentil will work, but red lentils are my favorite for this recipe - they cook up quickly and they fall apart after about 20 min. of cooking, giving the dal an integrated, creamy sort of texture.
This recipe is adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook. The original recipe looked good, but it was a lot fussier than I felt it had to be, and I wasn't nuts about the spice blend they used, so I tinkered and futzed and came up with this - a very yummy, very quick, very filling way to satisfy your craving for Indian food on a week-day night.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup red lentils, rinsed and sorted. The amount you use depends on how soupy or how stewy you like your dal.
- 3 1/2 cups water or chicken broth
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tsp. fresh grated ginger
- 8 oz. extra firm tofu, patted fry and cut into 1/2 in. cubes
- 1/2 tsp. curry powder
-1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tbs. olive oil or vegetable oil
- *dash of dried cumin
- *dash of powdered cloves
- *dash of cinnamon
- *dash of powdered ginger
- *dash of garam masala
- *dash of black pepper
* Use these spices in quantity to taste, but err on the side of using a lighter, rather than heavier hand. James and I don't like super-spicy food, so this blend is pretty mild. For hotter dal, add red pepper flakes or cayenne to taste.
- 1 cup (uncooked) basmati rice.
Process:
1. Cook it, set it aside and keep warm. You will serve the dal over it.
2. While the rice cooks, heat the 2 tbs. of oil in a dutch oven. When it's just rippling, add the sliced onion and cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft and just beginning to brown.
3. Add the spice mixture to the onions. Cook until blended and fragrant, about 30 sec. (this is called "blooming" the spices with the hot oil).
4. Add the garlic to the onions and spices. Cook just until fragrant, about 30 sec.
5. Add the ginger to the onions, garlic and spices. Cook for about a minute.
6. Add the washed and sorted lentils and the 3 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until the lentils had fallen apart.
7. While the lentils are simmering, pat the tofu dry. Heat 1 tbs. of vegetable oil in a skillet, and bring to the smoking point. Add the cubed tofu and cook until just turning golden on one side (about 1 min.). Then stir the tofu and cook for an additional 1 -2 minutes. *Alternately, you could leave the tofu uncooked until the last step. This will give the tofu a much softer, silky texture in the final dish. If you like your tofu firmer however, you should pre-cook it at least a bit. Once golden, drain on a paper towel.
8. When the lentils are done, take them off-heat and add the tofu. Stir it in, then let the dal sit, covered, for 5 minutes so that the flavors have a chance to blend.
9. Serve the dal over basmati rice, or the rice of your choice. Alternately, you can eat the dal as a hearty soup with some crusty bread or naan.
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