Rainbow Dal
It’s difficult to paint a picture of safety and home to me without dal somewhere in the background. A humble, stainless-steel pot bubbling on the stove of my nan’s busy kitchen on a cold afternoon; ready to nourish me for my after-school activities throughout my childhood. I’m so honoured to be able to share this gem with you, with a particular twist on the chosen blend of lentils – colourful, diverse and all bringing something unique to the table – quite literally! The perfect embodiment of how I perceive the world, with food as my powerful medium for change.
Ingredients
- 400 gramsmixed dal [moong, chana, toor, masoor, urad]
- 2large tomatoes
- 6large garlic cloves
- 2 inch fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoonsground cumin
- 2 teaspoonsground coriander
- 1 teaspoonground turmeric
- groundnut or vegetable oil
- salt
- 1 tablespoonmustard seeds
- 1 tablespoonwhole cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoonnigella seeds
- 2curry leaves
- 1chilli
- 4 tablespoonsvegan butter or groundnut oil
- fresh coriander, chopped
Instructions
- 1
Ladle the dal into a bowl and drizzle with tadka, while it’s still hot.
- 2
Garnish with fresh coriander and enjoy!
- 3
Thoroughly rinse lentils and bring to a simmer with 1.2 L of water.
- 4
In the meantime, finely chop tomatoes and add to a large saucepan with 3 tbsp of oil.
- 5
Peel and mince ginger and garlic, add to the tomatoes and stir well to combine. Cook together for 8–10 minutes on low heat.
- 6
Add the spices and a generous pinch of salt, continue to cook for 2–3 minutes.
- 7
Drain the lentils and rinse again. Add to the pan mix, along with 0.5 L of water and stir well to combine the spices. Cover with a lid and bring to simmer for 10 minutes longer, stirring halfway through.
- 8
Create tadka by adding mustard, cumin and nigella seeds to hot groundnut oil, along with curry leaves and a sliced chilli. Allow to temper for 2–3 minutes on a low heat until the spices start to crackle and pop.