One of the most widely eaten Indian dishes in the world! A delicious smooth lentil based curry that melts in your mouth!

Ingredients

  • 2 red onions
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 0.5 thumb-size piece of ginger (about a stock cube size piece)
  • 2 l (8 cups) water
  • 4 medium tomatoes
  • 500 g uncooked (2.5 cups) red lentils
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 3 tsp mild curry powder
  • 1 courgette (zucchini)
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 3 tblsp tamari/braggs liquid aminos/soya sauce
  • 3 tsp salt (use a decent unrefined sea salt)
  • Bunch of fresh coriander

Method

One of the most widely eaten Indian dishes in the world! A delicious smooth lentil based curry that melts in your mouth!

  1. Cook brown rice first so that it is ready to serve with the dahl, roughly 300g rice does 4 persons
  2. Ideally, soak red lentils for a couple of hours before you make it (no prob if you don't have the time to soak them, soaking just means it cooks quicker and tastes even better!). We usually soak them but when we don't have the time, we don't!
  3. Slice onions, garlic and the ginger. Sauté them on a medium to high heat in oil/water (enough water that they don't stick to the bottom but ensuring that there is not too much that you are boiling them!) to cover pot till onion starts to become translucent and it all starts to smell lovely (add more water if they are sticking to the pot).
  4. Chop tomatoes and the courgette and add them in. Add 1 tsp of the salt. Leave them sweat for 5-10 minutes (if you have time, the longer you sweat them the sweater and more flavourful your dahl will be (on a low heat you can leave them sweat for an hour without stirring if you have time!). After a couple of minutes add the lentils – (If you soaked the lentils ensure you drain the water off them) and add the water (amount in ingredients).
  5. Add the spices – turmeric, cayenne, cumin, curry powder, the remaining 2 tsp of salt, the black pepper, the tamari/braggs/soya sauce and the juice of the lime.
  6. Bring to boil and reduce heat for 25 minutes (or until it is cooked through and to your desired texture).
  7. Stir regularly as lentils have tendency to stick to the bottom of the pot.
  8. Add the coriander for garnish.

Notes:

If serving with brown rice you’ll need approximately 300g or 2 cups for 4 servings

Top tips:

Serve with avocado and toasted wholemeal pittas. Stir lentils while cooking as they love to stick to the bottom of the pot!

Ideas to pimp out your Dahl:

Add some raisins and apple to sweeten it; also the raisins give a nice contrasting colour. I often add baby spinach to it for colour and as I love it!