If I could eat this dish all day I would! Red Lentil Dhal is so easy to make, and you get the delicious taste and aroma of these rich spices in your own home! High in protein and fibre, Red Lentil Dhal is a great way to get a variety of nutrients in and stay fuller for longer. I like to serve with both rice and pappadums for that extra texture and flavour. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do!
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups of water
- 1 cup of basmati rice, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup red split lentils, rinsed
- Juice of ½ lime
- 1tsp of turmeric (ground)
- 2-3 tsp of Canola Oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
- 1 tsp cumin (ground)
- 1 tsp coriander (ground)
- ½ tsp fresh or dried chilli flakes
- 1 x 400g can of chopped tomatoes
- Coriander leaves to serve (chopped)
- Natural yoghurt to serve (optional)
- Pappadums to serve
METHOD
Step 1
Add water to small pot, place on high heat and bring to the boil. Once boiled, reduce heat to low and add rice. Cook until rice has absorbed majority of the water (stir and taste accordingly – around 10minutes). Once cooked, turn off and drain any remaining water – set aside.
Step 2
In a large pot, add the rinsed lentils, lime juice and turmeric and cover with water by at least 4cm. Add to medium heat and cook until lentils are soft (around 40minutes).
Step 3
In a medium pan, heat oil and add onion. Cook for 5minutes until soft. Add garlic.
Step 4
Once onion and garlic are soft and translucent add cumin, coriander and chilli flakes. Stir through for 1 minute until they start release their fragrance.
Step 5
Stir in tomatoes and ½ cup of water (I usually fill up half of the original tomato tin with water so you can get more of the tomato juice as well)
Step 6
Check lentils and see if they are cooked. Add them to the tomato mixture. If the consistency looks quite thick, add an additional cup of water. Otherwise ½ a cup will be enough. Simmer on a low heat for 5minutes.
Step 7
Heat the pappadums in the microwave (I usually use Maharajah’s Choice Pappadums). Follow the instructions and heat as many as you require.
Step 8
Serve 1 ladle of lentils into a bowl; add a sprinkle of coriander and a dollop of yoghurt. On the side add ½ cup cooked rice and a small handful of pappadums. Enjoy!!
