Swati's mum's dhal

Vanessa Lewis

This recipe comes from Swati, my demi chef at Giraffe. It is her mum's recipe. It uses asafoetida, a flavour enhancer found in Indian stores and some supermarkets. If you can't find it, don't worry, leaving it out won't affect the dish.

Ingredients

2 cups	Split yellow lentils (Main)
6 cups	Water
2 Tbsp	Ghee, or butter
1 tsp	Cumin seeds
1 tsp	Asafoetida, see above
2	Garlic cloves, finely grated
1 tsp	Ginger, finely grated
2 tsp	Turmeric

Tempering (flavouring) for the dhal

2 Tbsp	Ghee, or use butter
1 tsp	Cumin seeds
1 tsp	Asafoetida
1	Onion, finely sliced
1	Green chilli, finely sliced
1	Tomato, finely diced
1 tsp	Garam masala
1 tsp	Chilli powder
1 tsp	Turmeric
1 handful	Coriander leaves, to garnish

Directions

1. In a large pot cook the lentils in the 6 cups of water for 25-30 minutes.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp ghee in a fry pan; add the cumin seeds, cooking till they pop.
3. Add the asafoetida, when it has dissolved quickly add the garlic and ginger, stirring till cooked out. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
4. Add this mixture to the cooked lentils, along with the turmeric. Simmer till thick.
5. While the dhal is cooking, temper the flavours to add to the dhal.
6. In another pan, heat the remaining ghee (or butter); add the cumin seeds and asafoetida.
7. Next add the onion and chillies, cook until soft and golden, then add the tomato.
8. Add the garam masala, chilli powder and turmeric and cook until the mixture is semi dried.
9. Add the tempering mixture to the dhal and adjust seasoning before serving. Garnish with coriander.

More of Swati's Indian recipes

• Mango chutney
• Swati's spicy potatoes