A flavorful side dish with any curry or an excellent addition to an array of Indian dishes. Served with rice and yogurt, dhall (also spelled dal or dhal) can be a meal in itself.
Dhall
Recipe type: side dish
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 4 to 6
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 1½ cups dried lentils or split peas
- 4½ cups Vegetable Stock or water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 cups diced onions
- 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric ground
- 2 teaspoons black pepper, coarsely
- ½ teaspoon hot chili pepper flakes or cayenne or 1 small fresh hot chile pepper, minced
- 1 cup coconut milk
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook the lentils or peas in the stock or water along with the salt and turmeric. Drain, but reserve the liquid.
- Sauté the onions, garlic, and the rest of the spices in the oil until the onions are golden brown, stirring continuously.
- Mix the drained lentils or peas with the sautéed spices and reheat gently.
- When hot, stir in the coconut milk.
- If the dhall is too dry or thick, add some of the reserved liquid.
- For a lighter, less sweet version of this dish, substitute 1 cup chopped tomatoes for the coconut milk.