I always have a few portions of this in my freezer! In fact i just got home from holidays and pulled a batch out for dinner and I couldn’t have been more smug!!
Dal is a highly nutritious food and this simple recipe is very handy to have in your repetoire whether you are cooking for one or for a crowd! This recipe is adapted by a great one by Anna Jones.
It can be dressed up in lots of ways, and you can swap out the carrots for pumpkin or sweet potato.
You can add pickles, sauerkraut or yoghurt on top to add some extra gut nourishment, and if you’re in perimenopause then know that as well as all of the great benefits of the veggies and spices the lentils are also a great addition to help balance hormones.
This keeps for at least 3 days in the fridge and freezes like a dream so lash on your favourite tunes and double up the quantities while you’re in the kitchen anyway – you’ll be so glad you did! Use this as a basic recipe and tweak the spices and their levels to suit your own tastes.
Lentils are rich in fibre, protein, and magnesium, which support stable blood sugar levels, hormone production, and overall hormonal regulation… so really great for everyone and excellent for women in midlife!
Serve with toasted peanuts, pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds on top for a welcome bit of crunch. An egg on top is also never a bad idea!
Add brown rice to create a complete protein veggie meal or serve with fish, chicken or steak… all will be delicious!
By the way – I have found it impossible to get a completely verified answer as to whether it should be spelt Dal, Dahl, Daal or Dhal but it appears that Dal is the most often used English spelling by people of Indian heritage… so thats what I’ve done … open to corrections!
Ingredients (serves 4)
Method
If you have a food processor get it out and save yourself the chopping!
- Grate / chop / or process the garlic, ginger and the onion. Put a large saucepan on a low heat, add a little oil and add everything you have just grated. Sprinkle on a teaspoon of fine sea salt and cook for around 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft and sweet.
- Use powdered spices or grind whole cumin and coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar, then add to the pan with the whole mustard seeds and the other spices. Cook for a couple of minutes to toast and release the oils. Add the lentils, coconut milk and stock to the pan.
- Grate all the carrots (ideally in the food processor) and add those too and bring to a gentle simmer, then turn the heat down low and bubble away for 25–30 minutes. Make sure to stir regularly as the red lentils can easily get stuck!
- To finish your dal, take it off the heat, then stir in the spinach and allow it to wilt a little.
- Taste for salt, squeeze some lemon or lime juice over to add brightness and serve with some fresh coriander and toasted seeds on top if you like. YUM x
