Lentil Dal with Rice
I didn’t eat a lot of ethnic food growing up as a child. I mean sure we had tacos and spaghetti. Mom one time even introduced us to Greek Shrimp complete with feta cheese. But overall, outside of these mainstream American dishes, my culinary pallet didn’t venture to many faraway lands. Enter my wife, or should I say my girlfriend at the time. During our courtship (yeah, I’m from the South), I was eager to try just about anything she suggested in order to impress her. You see, I really dug her and was hoping my willingness to try new things would show her how much of a “Renaissance Man” I truly was.
One night, she suggests going out for Indian food. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect. I had never tasted Indian food and I was hoping it wouldn’t turn out like our sushi date. And without going into great detail, let’s just say I found out the hard way that I don’t like salmon roe. It is hard to be suave and debonair while trying to gently and discreetly spit something into your napkin. But as a Renaissance Man, I perfected the napkin technique and was ready to give Indian food a try. Oh, the things we do for love.
Turns out, I really enjoyed my dinner that evening. So much so, that the restaurant became a regular spot. We even tried to rent the place for our rehearsal dinner. I guess my worldliness finally paid off. Although, I still can’t stand salmon roe. But as I wax poetic about young love, my point is that Indian food is great. With a few key ingredients, you can make it in your own home. And as a bonus, a lot of the dishes are already vegan, so there is no real effort involved in replacing the meat.
As a tribute to my wife’s efforts to expand my culinary experiences, I present my version of LENTIL DAL. The recipe originated from Robin Robertson’s 1,000 Vegan Recipes, but I have made lots of changes. So while I can’t speak to the authenticity of this Indian inspired dish; it is packed with great flavors and loads of vegan goodness. This dish is one of my personal favorites, and since we always have lentils in the pantry, I can usually whip up this dish on a night when I don’t have any idea what to cook for dinner. Plus, if you will allow me to be a bit sappy, this dish always reminds me of my first trip to the Indian restaurant. Thanks Honey.
Ingredients Instructions Okay, love is in the air in this blog…can’t you feel it?? Sort of like when Molly Ringwald finally falls for Judd Nelson in The Breakfast Club, so hit play on Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget about Me)” and let’s get ready to cook up some Indian food. First, you will want to rinse your lentils and make sure there are not any stones or other debris in them. Then drain the lentils as you prep the rest of the ingredients. Put your onions, garlic, and carrots in a saucepan and top with about ½ cup of the vegetable broth. Over medium heat, bring this mix to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer until tender (about 3-5 minutes).
Next, add your green lentils to the pan along with the ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and curry powder. Mix to combine thoroughly and top off the mix with your wine and 1 ½ cups of broth. Bring this all to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cooking the mix until the lentils are almost soft (about 30 minutes). While waiting, continue the romance theme and cue up “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin. Now your green lentils are cooked and you can add in the red lentils, tomatoes, and the remaining vegetable broth. As a side note, you can use a single type of lentil in this dish; however, the red lentils seem to almost melt into the dish adding a bit of thickness to the sauce.
Cook your lentils for about another 10-15 minutes or until all of them are soft and tender. At this point, add in your spinach and cook it until it begins to wilt. Then add salt and pepper to taste, and finish with the fresh cilantro. I serve this dish over some basmati rice cooked with a cinnamon stick and three green cardamom pods; however, plain white rice or brown rice works just as well. Also, if you are feeling a bit saucy, feel free to use hot curry powder or a dash or two of cayenne pepper. My wife doesn’t like real spicy foods, and as a result, I make this dish on the mild side.
Simmering Vegetables
Add in the spinach
Finish with Cilantro
So, exotic spices fill the air like Polo cologne at an 8th grade dance. It is intoxicating just like the feelings of love you have in your heart. And I don’t know about you, but right about now “I can’t fight this feeling anymore” – REO Speedwagon. Dinner is complete and on the table, but you have time for one more slow dance. Dim the lights, light the candles, and enjoy your Indian food. It is so much better than salmon roe, I promise. Longer Letter Later.
Love, Bob aka The Grassfed Carnivore
Can’t wait to try this!