Masoor Dahl and Yellow Rice

It’s a real shame that Australians generally are not aware of the great benefits of Dahl. It’s the one thing I hunt out when I’m in London and I miss most when I’m back in Sydney.  The Dahl Madras from the Paradise restaurant near the Hampstead over-ground station is my all-time favourite, with a nice hot Naan it’s a meal on its own.

 In this case red lentil or Masoor lentils, are readily available and cheap in most supermarkets.

The resulting dahl, or in my house we call it curry, is packed with spice and creamy texture it’s a fantastic base for so many other vegetables.  It’s loaded with protein and fiber plus vitamins and minerals.  I keep this in the fridge for about three days so that I have a quick and tasty lunch or even dinner.  It freezes well but is so simple to make and tasty it never makes it into the freezer

I cook this slowly for a long time as it gets creamer as the lentils break down,

Just watch the pot as it can stick. Don’t be afraid to add more water or stock.  You can even add a can of coconut milk, a can of lentils or chickpeas near the end of the cooking.  We usually roast up sweet potatoes, squash or pumpkin to serve, as well as some blanched broccolini.

Play around with the recipe until you get the hang of it.

This recipe is a variation I have included the use of a premade sauce to save time on spice blends.  Choose one that you like, just watch the ingredients.

Ingredients

Dahl (serves 4)

• 250g red lentils

• 1.2 litres water

• 1 tbsp of dried turmeric

• 6 to 8 chat potatoes cut in half

• 3 tbsp of korma paste (the tikka also works well)

• 2 tsp of Herbie’s tandoori spice mix

• 1 tsp of Swiss vegetable Bouillon

Yellow rice (serves 4 to 8)

• 500g white basmati rice

• 750g cold water

• 2 tablespoons of oil or ghee

• 2 teaspoons of ground turmeric

• 1/2 brown onion finely diced

• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Dahl

1. Cover the lentils with the water and bring to a simmer. 

2. Add the turmeric and cook for 10 minutes.

3. Add the potatoes and spices.

4. Cook for 40 minutes, adjust liquid where needed.

5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  You can also add more spice mix and paste where needed.

Yellow rice

1. Heat the oil or ghee in a pot and gently fry off the onion, without colouring it.

2. You can add a little garlic at this point if you like

3. Measure the rice and mix with the turmeric, sea salt and pepper. 

4. Add to the onion mix and stir though.

5. Cover with the water and stir.

6. Bring to the boil and place on the lid or foil.

7. Place in a heated oven and cooked at 180 degrees celsius for around 15 minutes or until the rice is soft and fluffy.