How can something so simple be so tasty! 🙂 This is red split lentils, spiced up to a delicious warming fragrant bowl of daal!
We made this as part of a meal to eat with courgette & okra curry, samosas, brown lentil & spinach curry and of course rice, poppadoms and raita.
This daal was my favourite! I love daal anyway, but this one had the perfect blend of spices and was just the right consistency. Perfect! I think my guests loved it too! 😀
You could of course just serve this with rice, or with salad, or with fluffy naan bread, or actually, I would happily just eat a whole bowlful of it on its own just as it is! 😛
Now, if you’ve never made something like this before, don’t be scared! It really is a simple thing! 🙂 The trick is to cook the spices in the pan first to release their flavour, then add the lentils afterwards. I have included a link to a mix of spices called Panch Puran – you can use 2 teaspoons of this instead of the individual spices if that makes it easier for you! 🙂 Have a look at the recipe and see what you think!
- Splash of oil (I used olive oil spray)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon kulonji seeds
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 200 g split red lentils (washed)
- 700-800 ml water (cold)
- 1/2-1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
Heat or melt the oil, then add all of the seeds (cumin, mustard, coriander, kulonji). Stir and watch until they start to spit and sizzle, then stir in the powdered spices (turmeric, garlic, cumin, coriander).
Immediately add the onion, stir to coat, then add in the drained lentils. Mix well and allow to cook for a minute before adding the water. Stir and cover. Cook on high until it is just starting to boil. Reduce the heat, stir, season, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Check the water every so often and do a final taste check. Sprinkle with fresh chopped coriander (if you have any)! Enjoy!
If you’re new to cooking, or plant based cooking, have a look here for some kitchen inspiration or some plant based ingredients! Below are a few items useful for this recipe…
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We hope you have a fabulous weekend (we are going on an adventure! 😛 ) and enjoy the last bit of school before the long summer holidays! Have fun!
Speak soon
Laurena x
Hi Laurena, I’ve got almost all the ingredients to make this- I hope it tastes just as good without the mustard and kulonji seeds? Have a nice weekend, although it may be a but too warm for dhal for me lol (34′ predicted) ?
Hello Eva. I also eat my daal cold over salad (as I love it so much)! 😛 We had a fantastic (busy & tiring) weekend (not much internet where we were)! We’re catching up – it’s 28 here today! Hope you’re both well. x
That’s a good idea about the dhal ? I do see no internet access as a sort of blessing sometimes! Hope you had a nice rest, despite it being tiring (if that makes sense lol). Oh for it to be ‘only’ 28′ lol… It’s building up to 38′ again by the end of the week again? Keep cool and have a good week x
I had a rest from cooking! 😛 Making bread atm and thinking what to do for a barbecue later on! 38 is pool weather! Do you have one nearby?
I’ve just realised I’ve been spelling daal wrong, oops☺
Not at all… there are SO many spellings of it! Daal, dhal, dal, dahl. Spell it any way you like! 😀 x
Interesting, thank you- I’ve probably come across all those variations over the years without even realising lol. You can’t bake or even cook that much in this heat, so good for you for taking a bit of a rest (not necessarily practising what I preach, was cooking stuff on the hob and oven like a fool the other day!) Currently listening to Boris’s inauguration speech??Re BBQ: maybe aubergine/courgette slices, corn on the cob, chargrilled vegan cheese and sausages/burgers of course. Oh and pitta and dips. You have to make bananas and dark choc in foil packages!
I don’t think there’s a pool within walking distance, I was thinking of going to swim in the river soon but a lady informed me of some people who unfortunately were taken in by underwater currents recently, so I don’t think that will happen xx
Ooo… chargrilled vegan cheese on the BBQ sounds intriguing. 30c again today so it’s ice-cream time. Be careful if you do go the river then – that doesn’t sound great!
Your lentil dal recipe looks awesome. And I actually have all the ingredients (except I use avocado oil instead of any spray). Oh, PS, thanks for co-hosting FF this week…
Thank you! I’ve not yet come across avocado oil – I’ll have a look. This daal would go great with your okra curry! 😀 Enjoy the Fiesta!