Dal Recipe – Top 5

Recipe for traditional Indian dal

What the potato is to us, Dal is to India and Pakistan. Since rebirth as an animal is not impossible, most Hindus refrain from eating meat and instead eat vegetarian or vegan food. Because the legume dish is rich in proteins and can be prepared with particularly little fat, it can very well compensate for the lack of animal protein.

• Ingredients for 4 servings: 250 g red lentils, 2 onions, 2 cloves of garlic, a small piece of ginger (approx. 2 cm), 2 red chili peppers, 400 g canned tomatoes, 1 lemon, juice from it, 2 tbsp coconut oil, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp turmeric, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp black mustard seeds, 1 tsp salt, 200ml water, 300ml coconut milk
• Peel onions, ginger, and garlic. Dice the onions. Finely chop the ginger and garlic. Cut chili peppers into thin rings.
• Heat the coconut oil in a saucepan and let the chopped vegetables sauté briefly. Now add the spices and heat it up as well.
• The lentils are washed and fried for about 1 minute together with the vegetables and spices. Deglaze the whole thing with the canned tomatoes. Squeeze the lemon and add the juice to the saucepan along with salt, 100ml water, and coconut milk.
• Bring the dal to a boil. Then let it simmer for about 30 minutes on a low flame. Stir in between and add the remaining water in small sips.

Red lentil soup with curry and ginger

Dal can also be served in the form of soup. This low-fat yet tasty variant can be cooked in a very short time and with little effort and should not be missing in any recipe book.

• For 4 people you need: 500 g red lentils 2 onions 1 small piece of ginger 2 cloves of garlic 1/2 bunch of flat-leaf parsley 500 g low-fat yogurt or Greek cream yogurt 1-2 tbsp oil curry powder ground cumin cardamom 2 1/2 l vegetable stock salt Pepper 1 pinch of sugar
• Peel and dice the onion, ginger, and garlic. The oil is heated in a large saucepan. Sweat onions, ginger, and garlic in it. Add lentils and sauté briefly.
• Season this with curry powder, cumin and cardamom, pour in the broth, and let it boil.
• The dal must now be simmered over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and sugar.
• Wash and chop the parsley. The soup is served in bowls and then topped with a large dollop of yogurt. Then sprinkle them with parsley.

Exotic dal with coconut milk

Indian cooking can be so easy. This light soup is a great starter. But this dal recipe also makes a lot with a meat insert of shrimp or chicken as the main course.

• This list of ingredients makes 2 servings: 200 g red lentils 6 tbsp olive oil 2 onions 2 cloves of garlic 50 g ginger 3 cloves of garlic 1/2 organic lime coarse sea salt black pepper 1 tbsp cumin seed 1 tbsp black cumin 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 500 ml vegetable stock 250 ml orange juice and grated zest of 1/2 organic lime 6 peeled prawns 400 ml coconut milk
• Peel the ginger, onions, and 2 cloves of garlic and cut into cubes. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and sauté the diced vegetables in it.
• Add lentils, cumin seeds, and turmeric powder, and let everything sweat briefly. This is now deglazed with the vegetable broth and the orange juice and, covered, cook for about 10 minutes over a low flame.
• Now peel and chop the remaining clove of garlic, press out half of the organic lime and grate off some of the peel. The juice, the grated peel, the finely chopped garlic, and about 4 tablespoons of oil are mixed together.
• Then 6 peeled shrimp are marinated in it. Add about 350 ml coconut milk to the dal in the pan and puree everything with a hand blender. In a second pan, fry the shrimp on both sides with oil.
• In a small saucepan, heat 50ml coconut milk and whisk until foamy. The dal is now filled into bowls and served with a dollop of coconut foam and shrimp. Finally, sprinkle some black cumin on top.

Chana Dal Masala

The basis for the Chana Dal is halved chickpeas. They give the dal a little sweetness and a slightly nutty taste. Especially in Sri Lanka and southern India, this dish is very often cooked and served as a snack after frying. Delicious dips and spreads can also be made from this basic recipe. Served with flatbread or rice, it is also a pleasure as the main meal.

• For 4 servings these are the required ingredients: 2 cups of chickpeas, halved (chana dal) possibly water for soaking 2 tablespoons of ghee or oil, preferably coconut oil as an alternative 2 cardamom pods, green 1 piece of cinnamon bark (approx. 2 – 3 cm ) 1 tsp cumin, whole 1 pinch asafoetida 1 large red onion, chopped ½ tsp garlic, grated ½ tsp green chili pepper, chopped 1 can tomatoes, pureed, strained or chunky ½ tsp salt ½ tsp turmeric 1 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp cayenne pepper 1 small piece of ginger, cut into fine strips some coriander green, fresh, chopped 1 chili pepper, green, cut into thin strips some lemon juice, freshly squeezed water, as required
• Wash the chickpeas, put them in a bowl covered with water, and let them soak for up to 3 hours.
• Ghee or oil is heated in a pot. Roast the cinnamon bark and cardamom pods in it. Cumin and asafoetida are also sweated briefly. Add the onions and sauté until the edges are golden brown.
• Add the tomato passata to the pan and season with grated garlic, salt, cayenne pepper, chili, turmeric, and coriander. First, let it boil at a high temperature. Stir occasionally and simmer over medium-high heat for another 5-10 minutes.
• Add the drained half chickpeas to the pot and let them cook for another 5 minutes while stirring. You can add water to your liking so that the dish has the desired amount of liquid. Then it has to simmer covered for between 30 and 45 minutes on low heat.
• Before serving, season with lemon juice and arrange on plates. Scatter over the fresh coriander, chili, and ginger, both cut into strips. Rice or bread goes well as a side dish.

Ayurvedic Toor Dal

This tour dal recipe from Ayurvedic cuisine is easily digestible, high in protein, and is a perfect accompaniment to rice or can be served as a larger portion with bread.

• These ingredients make 2 servings: 100 g yellow peas (pigeon peas) 2 medium-sized, ripe tomatoes 2-3 carrots 1 tbsp ginger 1 small chili pepper, dried coriander leaves 350 ml vegetable stock 1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil 1 tbsp tamari (soy sauce) 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp Almond butter 1 tsp black mustard seeds 1 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp turmeric, ground sea salt, coarsely ground pepper
• Soak peas in water overnight. Drain the water, catch the peas in a colander and wash.
• Peel and grate the ginger. Cut the tomatoes into pieces and dice the carrots. The chili pepper is chopped.
• Place ghee or oil in a tall saucepan and heat over medium-high. The spices, the grated ginger, and the chili are briefly sautéed in it and the whole thing is deglazed with vegetable broth. Let it cook on low flame for 30-45 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and carrots and cook until the carrots are al dente. Finally, stir in the almond butter, tamari, and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
• Wash the coriander and pluck off the leaves. Then put it in the pot, stir and let it steep for a few minutes without further cooking.