By Karimahs Cuisina. 

Members of KC have just completed  the global poverty project international challenge  to live below the line, food and drink one pound per day, it’s a real eye opener but it was also strange when we finished to attended what we would call a banquet, a fund raising dinner at the Water Lily in the East End.

 The meal included in its many dishes lentils and rice, I love the way Bengali do dhaal, and I told my sistar Nazia, that I could eat just the rice and dhal. Now back in the land of the Lush , where we can eat whatever we want our tastes have changed and this is our satisfaction this spring evening. 

This is a great healthy veggie comfort food, dhaal or lentils as they are also known, contain high levels of manganese which great for combatting tiredness. 

Ingredients

Serves: 4

• 200g masoor dhaal or red lentils
• 700ml water
• 200g onion, thinly sliced, divided into 2 portions, half and half
• 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped, 2 portions again.
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tea spoon  ground cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 100g cherry tomatoes chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 whole fresh green chilli
• 30ml ghee 

Method

Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 40 mins

• Wash the lentils.
•  Combine the lentils and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Add half of the sliced onions and garlic, keeping  the rest for later.
• Stir in the turmeric, bay leaf, tomatoes and salt.
•  Add the chillies, leaving them whole to add taste or cut in half to add heat.
•  When the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer.
• Cook until the lentils break apart and thicken slightly, about 20 minutes, add more water if they become too dry.
• While the dhall is boiling ,get on with the fried masala, in a frying pan, heat the ghee over medium heat until it melts.

•  Add the remaining  over onions; cook and stir until the onion has become golden, usually about 5 minutes.
•  Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking and stirring until the onion is tender and dark brown, approximately 20 minutes but keep an eye on them.
• Stir in the rest of the chopped garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic golden brown, just a few minutes.
• Pour the contents of the frying pan into the cooked lentils and stir. Garnish with  fresh  salad and brown rice, on small plates…eat less, share more inshallah