This red lentil Dal recipe in The Vegan Table looked super easy, and so I have been meaning to make it ever since it caught my eye.
This happened, however, when I was cooking for the 1st mother’s day event, and given my propensity for trying to do too much at once, I figured I should just look the other way. So I did, and the thought has been haunting me since.
I’d been looking forward to making a Dal ever since I saw the first recipe for one, and since I was unable to find the elusive RED LENTIL. I mean, come on. 4 stores? And NONE of them had this little guy. (I finally located them locally though.)
Forget about french lentils also. Noone has them. They are like the fabled unicorn in rarity, only I hear that they have pretty blue spots. Probably more dignified on a legume than on a mythical creature.
Red lentils. (Why they don't call them 'orange lentils' is beyond me. They are the color of carrots.)
Here are the basics of the Masoor Dal recipe:
-Rinse 2 cups red lentils. Do this in a small strainer if you can. (Red lentils are curious things. I tried to rinse in an oversized measuring cup (I cheat in this way with standard lentils) and I got the equivalent of chunky glue stuck to the bottom of it. I’m not sure why red lentils are like this. But, I assure you, I spent the better part of 5 mins trying to pry the things off the bottom without losing my fingernails.)
-Cut up an onion, pretty fine, and saute in a tablespoon of water (or oil, if you want) with 3 cloves garlic (I used 1 1/2 tsp of the pre-minced garlic) and a little under 1 tsp ground cumin (the recipe called for 1 tsp cumin seeds which I did not have on hand).
-Cook on medium heat in a large pan for about 3 mins or until onion turns clear and the garlic a little brown.
-In a small (small!) bowl, while you are waiting, measure out 1 tablespoon ground coriander, 1/4 tsp (or less) cayenne pepper, and 1 tsp salt. Set aside.
-Once the onions and such in the pan look ready, add in 5 1/2 cups of water and the lentils. Stir. Add in the spices that are waiting in the small bowl.
-Cook for at least 20-25 min. Note: cooking time will depend partially on how hot your stove is. Keep the mixture at a low simmer and it should be done in this amount of time. If it is not looking mushy enough, you can always cook longer. It is quite forgiving.
Masoor Dal
I was waiting for R to be done with a project when this was done, so I was twiddling my thumbs. Naturally, I started googling things about food. In the picture accompanying this Dal recipe, there was some lovely looking (what I assume to be) naan. I’ve been dying to try making some of this Indian flatbread. I had it a few times in restaurants and OMG it is so amazing. But, this would need to be both GF and vegan… making this more difficult. Add to that my desire to make something NOW, to go with the Dal if possible…. and my lack of ‘white’ rice flower….. I was sunk.
So I revamped my strategy. How about just a good ol’ GF, vegan flatbread? Why not? I thought I remembered seeing a recipe for that on WLN’s site. And I was not wrong. I also could not have been more pleased with the results. It worked with the Dal famously, rendering the jasmine brown rice a bitter third wheel. It wanted to leave the kitchen crying, being so unnecessary as it was. But as much as I love jasmine rice, it just wasn’t needed. Not for flavor and not for bulk.
If you are interested, here is the recipe for the flatbread. I used rosemary on top and a few dashes of basil.
Masoor Dal, GF vegan Flatbread, Jasmine Rice
veganallergist 