Sunday, March 17, 2013

pakistani dhal recipe [guest post]

Hey everyone! My name is Ashlee and I blog over at My Sweet Nomsa. I thought that I would share with you today one of my favorite comfort food recipes. It's warm, with a lot of spices and easy to make. It's my version of Pakistani Dhal.



INGREDIENTS:

3 cups of water
1 cup of red split lentils
1 can of diced tomatoes (14 oz)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 bag of frozen cauliflower (equivalent to 12 oz or 4 servings)
1 vegetarian bouillon cube
1 tablespoon of chopped ginger or 1/8 tablespoon powdered ginger
2-3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
chopped cilantro
salt



one/ Heat water and a bouillon cube in a pot until boiling. Add lentils, can of tomatoes, frozen cauliflower, curry, coriander, cumin & cayenne. Bring back up to a boil. Once boiling again, reduce heat to a low boil. Cook until the water is reduced and the mixture becomes a thick paste (about 20 minutes). Stir frequently because the lentils can easily stick to the bottom.

two/ While lentils are cooking, heat olive oil in frying pan. Add onion, ginger, and garlic; fry until soft.

three/ After the lentils thicken up and become soft, add the onions, ginger and garlic to the pot and mix together. Cook for another minute or two for the flavors to blend.

four/ Makes 4-6 servings. Add chopped cilantro and a little bit of salt to top before serving. I like eating this by itself, but you can serve it over rice or another favorite grain.



This is one of those meals where the leftovers are even better because the flavors really settle into each other. Feel free to experiment with the vegetables in this. Add mushrooms to your onion/garlic/ginger blend. Instead of cauliflower, dice up a few red potatoes or zucchini.

Also, if you use whole red lentils (not the split version as specified), it is going to take a little longer to soften the lentils and you will need to add more water to the recipe. Just keep taste testing it and if the water is all reduced down, but the lentils are still too hard, add a cup of water and continue cooking until they get mushy.

I hope you enjoy!