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
