At any time of the year, but especially when the skies are grey, dahl is a reliable weeknight dish that will brighten the spirits. Essentially a red lentil stew (or some would say thick soup) laced with turmeric, ginger, chilli and cumin, dahl comes together quickly with minimal preparation and needs little more than rice to make it a complete dish.
While the brilliance of dahl rests heavily on its simplicity, I’ve recently become an advocate for making dahl more. With a bit of love, this unassuming lentil stew stealthily transforms into a blank canvas for a gamut of intriguing flavours and textures.
Let your imagination run free – top with roasted root vegetables, crispy potatoes, avocado, a jammy 7-minute egg, or perhaps some lively microgreens. My two favourite toppings are full of colour and character – vibrant beetroot raita, spiced with curry leaves and mustard seeds, delivers a tart edge, while zesty carrot and peanut salad brings freshness and crunch. Add some sautéed greens – try spinach, chard or kale – for added heartiness. I also like to mop up my dahl with roti or naan bread.
Red lentil dahl with beetroot raita and carrot salad
serves 4
1 cup (200g) red lentils, washed
1 litre water
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
20g (3 tsp) fresh ginger, grated
½ tsp turmeric
3 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee
3-4 dried chillies or 1 tsp red chilli flakes
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
2 small tomatoes
½ tsp garam masala
Sea salt
Place the lentils in a pot of water and bring to the boil (skim off any scum). Add the garlic, ginger and turmeric and a big pinch of salt. Simmer, covered, for about 40 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Heat the oil or ghee. Add the chillies and cumin, and cook for 30 seconds. Next, add the onion, tomatoes, garam masala and a pinch of salt, and cook for about 7-8 minutes, until the mixture is releasing some oil.
Add some of the lentils into this spice mixture and swirl to extract the flavours from the base of the pan, then pour everything into the pot with the lentils.
Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring to break up some of the lentils. If it’s too thick, add some water. Taste and season. Adding toppings, to your liking.
Beetroot raita
1 tbsp shredded coconut
1 tbsp neutral oil such as canola
1 tsp mustard seeds
4 fresh curry leaves
½ to 1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 medium beet, peeled and grated (about 2 cups)
¼ tsp turmeric
2 cups plain good-quality Greek yoghurt
Handful of mint leaves, chopped
Sea salt
Rehydrate the coconut by soaking in hot water.
In a small pan, heat the oil and once hot, add the mustard seeds, and cover with lid to allow the seeds to pop. When the popping stops, add the curry leaves and chilli and stir. Add the grated beetroot, turmeric and a pinch of salt.
Cook for 5 minutes, remove from heat and allow the beets to cool.
Add the beets to the yoghurt, stir just a little to get a marbling effect. Top with mint.
Carrot and peanut salad
2 large carrots, grated
Juice of ½ lime
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp neutral oil such as canola
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed
Handful coriander, chopped
Sea salt
Toss the carrot with lime juice and sugar, and season with a pinch or two of sea salt. Set aside.
Heat the oil in very small pan; once hot, add the mustard seeds and cover immediately to allow them to pop. Once the popping stops, pour them over the carrot. Add the peanuts and coriander to the carrot, and toss to combine. Adjust any seasonings.
