Tarka Dal. Lentils men will love.

I am a big fan of dal.  The slightly gloopy, spicy, lentil mush is a perfect addition to any curry.

In homage to the great lentil the lentil facts of the day, courtesy of the Larousse Gastronomique, is that red lentils (otherwise known as split red lentils) cook to a soft, powdery texture and are hence used for soups, purees and dal.  Whereas green and brown lentils like the Puy lentil become tender on cooking rather than mushy and retain their shape, hence they are used in substantial salads and casseroles.  Finally, all lentils are a joy to cook as they don’t require overnight soaking just 30 mins in boiling water.  So there really is no excuse to buy the astronomically priced pre-cooked versions.

Serves 4-6 as a side dish

Ingredients

4 heaped tbsp red split lentils

425 ml water

1 level tsp salt

1 small onion

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 tbsp melted veg ghee (or butter)

pinch of tumeric

½ tsp garam masala

1 small tomato

2 tsp finely chopped coriander

Method

1. Wash the lentils thoroughly and place in a saucepan with the water and salt, bring to the boil.

2. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or so during which you’ll need to skim off the froth the collects on the surface.  After 20 minutes, partially cover the pan and cook for about another 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you have a pale yellow baby food consistency.

3. Meanwhile fry the onion and garlic in the ghee until the onion is pale brown (don’t burn the garlic or it will be bitter).  Add the tumeric and garam masala and gook for a couple more seconds.

4. Add the onions to the lentils and serve hot sprinkled with the tomato and coriander.

I made the dal in advance and just heated it up in the microwave adding a splash of water to loosen it.  It worked like a dream, so much so that apparently dal for breakkie would be as exciting as a fry up.  Not a bad result for a bowl of lentils.