Fragrant Brown Lentil Dahl
Hello all! Disclaimer: I am fully aware that June is in full swing and that the weather is, on average, quite consistently hot at this point and this recipe may seem to be better suited for colder temperatures, but I’m here to tell ya that cozy food can be enjoyed in the heat too. I personally love eating spicy food anytime of the year, but also during hot weather. This Dahl is a bit lighter than one that I would enjoy in winter (like this one) and the sautéd onions give it a nice sweet flavour. I know that it may seem as though the ingredient list for this recipe is quite long, but honestly it’s mostly spices and I actually came up with this recipe by just throwing together whatever I had on hand in the pantry at the moment, which, let me tell ya, wasn’t much (hence the fact that the only veggies included are onions).
I haven’t shared content on here for so long that I feel like there is so much to update!! Fear not, I will not bore you all with my long winded updates because let’s be honest, most will just skip directly to the recipe (I know I usually do that). To sum everything up, I’m living at home this summer due to the pandemic and I’m lucky enough to be working from home in my first co-op position. Generally speaking, life is pretty good right now. Almost all of my friends are around at the moment, so I’ve been seeing lots of them on (distanced) hikes, walks, and backyard visits. The weather has been lovely, so I’ve been spending lots of time in the garden and out on the trails keeping up my training for cross-country in the off chance that I actually get to compete in the fall. I’ve also been seriously catching up on all the sleep that I lost during the school year, which was longgggg overdue.
Hope that you are all staying safe and well!
xx
Ashley
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, minced
- 2 green chili peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 cup brown lentils, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
- 1 400ml can coconut milk
- 1/2 cup water
- salt + pepper, to taste
- fresh cilantro, to garnish
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and ginger, season with a bit of salt and pepper, then sauté until the onions are slightly wilted. This takes about 5 mins.
- Add the spices and fry, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until the spices are fragrant, approximately 2 min. Mix in the lentils, then add the coconut milk and water and stir.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover to cook for about 15 mins or until the lentils are cooked through. Stir occasionally so the Dahl doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Serve the Dahl with rice, bread, or just enjoy on its own! I like to top mine with some chopped fresh cilantro.