Red Lentil Dhal

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dried red lentils
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 -5 cups chicken stock or 4 -5 cups water or 4 -5 cups vegetable broth
• 5 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 lime, juice of
• 1 cup lightly packed chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 6 whole cloves
• 2 dried red chilies (seeds removed)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Recipe

• 1 in a saute pan over medium heat, toast the seeds (but not the dried red chili) for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• 2 remove from pan and let cool.
• 3 transfer to coffee grinder, along with the dried red chili and cinnamon, and grind to a fine powder.
• 4 over medium-high heat oil a soup pot, add onions and saute for 5 minutes.
• 5 add garlic and ginger and saute 5 more minutes.
• 6 add spices and salt, saute 5 minutes more.
• 7 add 4 cups of liquid (stock, water or broth) and stir to deglaze the pot.
• 8 add tomato paste and lentils.
• 9 bring to a boil then lower the heat a bit and simmer for 20 minutes.
• 10 add the tomatoes, lime juice and cilantro and more water if it looks to thick.
• 11 simmer 10 more minutes, or until lentils are completely tender.