A Glimpse Round The World: Chandra's Dal Recipe

Dal

Sri Lankan Origins

We have had delicious dals in India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. However, dal dishes from Indian restaurants in the USA or Thailand have really disappointed us. So we asked Chandra, from Sri Lanka, to show us how to make dal. And he obliged.. This version uses olive oil and no ghee as we wanted a healthier version. It is really delicious and we make it often. I thought THIS is a good thing to share for my first blog post!

Making Dal at Home

Why? It's tasty and not hard to make. It's even healthy. Top off plain steamed rice with some dal, add a dab of yogurt and you'll have a delicious lunch. Leftovers can be served with pita bread wedges or naan bread for breakfast or for an appetizer. Or you can freeze some for later.

Dal Ingredients

Quantity	Unit	Item
2	cups	salmon pink lentils (dal)
3 1/4	cups	water
2	tsp	Madras curry powder
1/2	tsp	salt
3/4	tsp	cumin seed, ground in mortar
1/4	tsp	ground tumeric
1	Tblsp	olive oil
3/4	tsp	black mustard seeds (kadugu)
1	each	small onion, chopped
6	cloves	garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
3	each	medium sized chilis, sliced
1	wedge	lime

Sort through dal & pick out any stones or black items. Wash and rinse several times--knead the dal while washing. Water will be soapy-like at first, but this will lessen with every wash. When water is clear, drain and add water. The height of the water should be about twice as high as the dal. Place pot on the stove and bring to a boil. Add cumin, tumeric, salt and curry powder. Stir dal occasionally. Cook at med-high heat.

In the meantime, heat a pan (I cast iron frying pan), add olive oil then add kadugu (black mustard seeds). When the seeds start popping, quickly stir in the chilis, garlic and onions. Cook until onions are brown. Set aside.

Watch the water level of the dal. If the water level is lower than the dal and the dal is soft, then it is time to add the onion mixture. If you are not quite ready with the onions, add a little more water. Add onion mixture into the dal. Squeeze the lime juice into the dal, stir, cover and turn off heat. Let dal sit for a few minutes before serving.

Serve with steamed rice and yogurt or use as a dip with pita bread.

Note1: Black mustard seed is available at Indian grocers and online. Madras curry powder is available at Asian and Indian grocers and online. They both keep for awhile.
Note2: This recipe is pretty flexible. Sometimes if we want it spicier, we'll add more chilis or some ginger or chili leaves if we can get them. The Madras curry powder from different brands taste different so sometimes I will add more ground cumin or something.
Note3: Many times, we add more water as this thickens when it sits.
Note4: Also, if you like a more soup-like dal, add more water and increase the spices.