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Anu's Lentil Curry (Daal)

Personal Notes and Ingredients

This dish is a standard staple daal from India. It's a combination of many recipes (online and offline) and this is the way I like best and the one that reminds me most of home.

For 4 portions

 

3 Onions
4 cloves of garlic
inch piece of ginger
3-4 tomatoes
Red split lentils (you can also mix yellow lentils in here)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 - 1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
pinch of asafoetidaTo flavour the oil
1-2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds (optional)

Method

  1. Wash the lentils (3 times) in cold water until the water starts to clear up a bit

  2. Boil the lentils in water with 1/2 tsp of turmeric and a pinch of asafoetida (3:1 water-lentil ratio) you can adjust the thickness to your liking later

  3. This needs to boil for 15-20 minutes

  4. While this happens, chop onions finely

  5. Heat a pan with oil and once hot, add mustard and cumin seeds allowing them to splutter. Stir them to prevent burning. 30 seconds-1 minute

  6. Add chopped onions and fry on a medium flame for 10 minutes allowing the onions to brown slightly

  7. Finely chop or crush ginger and garlic in a mortar & pestle

  8. Add to the mix once onions are browned

  9. Fry until the raw smell goes, approx 2 minutes

  10. Add chopped tomatoes

  11. Add some salt and chilli powder, cumin and coriander powders now

  12. Stir regularly but not too much

  13. After about 5-8 minutes some of the tomatoes will be melting and some not (this is exactly what we want)

  14. Add the boiled daal to the pan (and not the other way around, since we want the flavours)

  15. Simmer for 5 minutes or more if you want to boil of water for a thicker consistency

Garnish with coriander leaves if desired and enjoy with fresh basmati rice or roti!

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