RED LENTILS DAHl

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SERVE OVER - RICE, STEAMED KALE, RED LENTILS ON TOP INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons	coconut oil
2	white or yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 or 1 tsp	toasted cumin, (dry toast in fry pan first)
2 medium cloves	garlic, finely chopped and made into a paste*
1 tbsp	ground ginger
3/4 tsp	turmeric
Chopped Chile pepper red or green 2 teaspoons of Bengali five spice mix (panch phoron) or 1/2 tsp black (or white) sesame seeds, 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, and (if available) 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1	bay leaf
SAUTÉ AND MASH. THEN ADD:
1 cup	lentils, soaked
3 cups	water
3	plum tomatoes
1 teaspoon	kosher salt plus more to taste
1	lime, OR LEMON juiced (equal to about 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice)
ADD A LITTLE SUGER
8 sprigs	cilantro, de-stemmed and chopped
	Cooked basmati rice, optional

*To create a garlic paste, finely chop the garlic, then sprinkle with a little kosher salt (to act as an abrasive) and crush with the side of a large chopping knife over the mixture until garlic breaks down and becomes paste-like.
METHOD
1 Place 1 cup of red lentils in a metal sieve. Rinse well with cold water. Pour cleaned lentils into a medium sauce pan. Add 3 cups of water. Bring lentils and water to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the lentils are soft.
2 While the lentils are cooking in step 1, bring a separate small pot of water to a boil. Score the peel of the tomatoes with a sharp knife in the shape of an "X". Place the tomatoes in the boiling water and blanch for one minute. Remove the tomatoes to a bowl to cool. Once cool, peel the tomatoes and cut out and discard the tough stem end. Chop the tomatoes, or mash them, and set aside.
3 After the lentils in step 1 have cooked at least 5 minutes, start preparing the onions and spices. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions. Cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic paste and cook for 1 minute more, stirring continuously, making sure that the garlic does not burn. Add the Bengali five spice. Cook and stir for another 2-3 minutes. Add bay leaf and turmeric. Stir.

4 To the onions and spices, add the cooked lentils along with the lentil cooking water. Add salt. Cook for 10 minutes. Add lime juice and tomatoes. Cook for 3-5 more minutes. Adjust salt if necessary. Stir in chopped cilantro and remove from heat. Garnish with more chopped cilantro.
Serve with basmati rice or naan bread.
Yield: Serves 4.

Recipe uploaded with Shop'NCook for iPhone.

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