Seema Pankhania’s Mum’s Emergency 10-minute Dal
Serve this fragrant speedy lentil dal with basmati rice or homemade rotis, and don't skip the quick garlic and curry leaf tarka - it really ties the whole dish together.
Introduction
This is my mum’s original emergency recipe. Her friend was coming down with the flu, and she was craving my mum’s dal. My mum offered to make her some but her friend was convinced it would take too long so they placed a bet. And my mum made dal and rice from scratch in under 10 minutes. And believe me, I’ve put her to the test, timing her over and over!
Ingredients
| 250g | split red lentils |
| 300g | tinned chopped tomatoes |
| 8cm | ginger |
| 8 cloves of | garlic |
| ½ tsp | cumin seeds |
| ½ tsp | ground turmeric |
| 1 tsp | ground cumin |
| 1 tsp | ground coriander |
| 2 tsp | chilli powder |
| a small handful of | fresh coriander, chopped |
| 3 | green chillies |
| 3 sprigs of | curry leaves (optional but highly recommended) |
| vegetable oil | |
| salt |
Essential kit
You will need a handheld blender.
Method
Begin by putting the red lentils into a large pan and rinsing them with hot tap water at least three times, until the water runs almost clear. It’s important that the water is warm; this helps the lentils cook faster. Drain the lentils, put them back into the pan and add 750ml of warm water. Bring to the boil, then boil for 7 minutes on a high heat.
While the lentils are cooking, use a handheld blender to blend the chopped tomatoes, half the ginger and 4 cloves of garlic.
Pour a good amount of vegetable oil into a large pan and add the cumin seeds. Wait for them to start sizzling and dancing around the pan, then carefully pour in the blended tomatoes. Add the turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, chilli powder and 2 teaspoons of salt, and cook on a medium heat for at least 7 minutes, or until the dal is fully cooked.
To check if the dal is ready, press a few of the lentils between your fingers to see if they are tender. Add the cooked dal with its liquid to the pan of curried tomatoes and mix well. If it’s too thick, add 150ml more water to reach your desired consistency.
Taste for seasoning and stir in three-quarters of the chopped coriander.
In the meantime, thinly slice the remaining 4 cloves of garlic, halve the green chillies and cut the remaining ginger into matchsticks.
To make the tarka, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in
a small pan and gently cook the garlic until it turns golden. Add the chillies and cook for 15 seconds, then add the curry leaves. Cook for about 10 seconds, until they turn bright green, then immediately pour this aromatic mix over the dal. Cover with a lid and let the flavours infuse until you’re ready to eat.
Finish with the matchsticked ginger and the rest of the chopped coriander, and serve with fluffy basmati rice or homemade rotli (page 151 of Craveable).
NOTE: Don’t skip the tarka – this wonderfully aromatic and flavourful oil will make the dal into something really spectacular with almost no effort! It’s a technique used in Indian cuisine, tempering herbs and spices to add layers of flavour to curries.
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