Lentil Daal: Simple and Delicous

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I served this traditional Indian dish to my classmates on the last day of my B.Ed program. Since then I've had about a billion people ask me for the recipe (I guess that means they liked it).  I found this recipe on the internet a while back.  Since then I’ve made it at least a couple times a month.  Daal is super easy to make, healthy, and unbelievably friggen' delicious.  Give it a try:

Lentil Daal

Ingredients:

1 onion, finely chopped (I’ve used sweet, yellow, and Spanish on various occasions)

1 tablespoon (15 g) vegan margarine (or vegetable oil, if you prefer)

1-1/3 cup (250 g) split red lentils or toor dal 1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste

3 cups (750 ml) water

1.8 ounces (50 g) creamed coconut *

Directions:

1. Fry the onion in margarine for 10 minutes until soft and lightly browned.

2. Add lentils, garlic, cumin, salt, turmeric, and chili; stir for 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add the water, bring to the boil, and simmer gently for 25-30mins, until the lentils are tender.

4. Add the creamed coconut and stir over the heat until dissolved.

5. Check seasoning and serve.

The original recipe recommends serving with rice.  I like to throw a couple scoops of basmati on my plate, add a nice layer of raw baby spinach, and heap a generous helping of daal on top of it all. It’s absolutely delightful and adds an extra boost of veggie-goodness to the meal.  Daal is also excellent over quinoa, and though I have yet to try it, I’m sure it would be great with vegan naan or roti as well.

* If you've never used creamed coconut before, you can find it in the international food section of any major grocery store.  I generally use Grace brand, but any brand will work just fine. Some people really can't stand the taste of coconut, and the recipe still tastes delicious if you leave the coconut out...that being said, I highly recommend that coconut-haters be brave and try it just this once (I can almost guarantee you'll love it).