DAHL

This recipe is a combination of a very old recipe I have been making for years, but topped with some aromatic spice mix from a recipe from Gordon Ramsay. We love it!

INGREDIENTS

350g split red lentils
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 cm piece fresh root ginger
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp garam masala
salt
1 Tbsp butter
1 pinch ground cumin
1 small onion

Topping
30g butter
1 tsp panch phoran (see ingredients here)
8 curry leaves
2 green or red chillies, slit in half lengthways

METHOD:
Put a kettle of water on to boil. Pick over the lentils and remove any small pieces of grit, then put into a sieve and rinse under cold running water.

Put the lentils into a saucepan and cover with 5 cups boiling water from the kettle. Add the turmeric and chilli powder, cover and bring to the boil.
Meanwhile, peel the ginger, cut into thin slices and add to the lentils. Peel the garlic and crush it into the saucepan.
As soon as the water reaches boiling point, reduce the heat and gently simmer for 10 minutes, or until the lentils are soft and almost all the liquid has been absorbed.
Stir in the garam masala, then add some salt to taste and cook the dhal for a further 5 minutes, leaving the pan uncovered if the mixture is still soupy.

Meanwhile, heat the butter and cumin in a small frying pan. Peel and dice the onion and fry gently in the spiced butter until soft.

Stir in the fried onion.

To make the topping, melt the butter in the same frying pan where you cooked the onion. Add the panch phoran and the curry leaves (I didn't use them here, couldn't find any) and fry for a minute or so until they release their aroma. Add the chillies and fry for a few more minutes.

Transfer the lentils to a warm serving bowl and tip the aromatic spice mix on top. 

Serve at once with steamed basmati or warm Indian breads, or as part of an Indian dinner.

Serves 4

Here it was served with Bombay-Style fish and fruit chutneys. Simply delicious!