Recipe: Red Lentil Dal

Dal remains one of my favorite comfort foods.  Whether it's for feeding yourself, or a large party of people, dal is nutritious, and tastes superb, especially over rice, with a fat lump of butter mixed in.

Ingredients:
1 cup red lentils (mung beans are OK too)
1/2 large onion, diced
2 Tsp ginger, minced fine
3 large cloves garlic, minced fine
1 dry red chili
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
3/4 tsp chili powder (or to taste)
3/4 cumin
1 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable stock
2 cups water
Toppings: butter, chopped cilantro.

Instructions:

Wash and soak the lentils for 2 hours (they will expand).  Discard the soaked water.

Heat 3 Tsp oil (I prefer coconut oil), and when hot, add onions, ginger, and garlic -- stir quickly so as to cook but not burn.  Lower heat, and stir occasionally, letting onions cook.

Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds (watch out, they will sputter), cumin, chili powder, and salt: stir quickly and let the spices release flavor.  Mix into a slight paste.

Add lentils, and mix thoroughly.

Add stock, and water.  Stir and cover with lid.  Cook for 20 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally.

Goes well with rice, or bread.  For extra taste sensation, add a generous pat of butter and chopped cilantro.

Serves 4.