Red lentil dal
Red lentils simmered with turmeric until soft and creamy, then topped with a sizzling tadka of cumin, garlic, onion and tomato. Comforting, cheap and vegan.
- Prep
- 3 min
- Cook
- 17 min
- Serves
- 4
- Per serve
- 500 kcal
Ingredients
Method
Boil the kettle. Rinse the lentils in a sieve until the water runs mostly clear.
Put the lentils, boiling water and turmeric in a saucepan and bring back to a boil. Simmer over medium heat, stirring every few minutes and skimming off any foam, until the lentils collapse into a thick, creamy porridge. Add a splash more water if it gets too thick.
While the dal simmers, chop the onion, garlic and tomato. With about 7 minutes to go, heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat, add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle until fragrant.
Add the onion and cook, stirring, until golden. Add the garlic, ginger and chiles and cook until the garlic is pale gold.
Add the tomato and garam masala and cook until the tomato softens. Heat the rice in the microwave according to the package.
Season the dal with 1 tsp salt and the lemon juice, then pour the sizzling tadka over the top. Scatter with cilantro and serve with the rice.
Tips
- Starting with boiling water from the kettle is what gets the lentils soft in 15 minutes.
- Asafoetida (hing) is traditional in the tadka, but most brands are cut with wheat flour, so look for a gluten-free one if you add a pinch.
- Dal thickens a lot as it cools. Loosen leftovers with hot water when reheating.
