Lentils with five spices

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 125 g Lentils, red (Masoor Dal)
• 125 g mung beans (mung dal)
• 750 ml water, hot
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds, black
• ¼ tsp cumin
• ¼ tsp black cumin
• ¼ tsp fennel seeds
• 5 fenugreek seeds
• 1 pinch of chili powder

Instructions

Working time approx. 10 minutes; Rest time approx. 8 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 8 hours 40 minutes

Mung Dal

Soak the mung beans in water overnight. If using peeled and split mung beans, this step is unnecessary. The next day, drain the beans and boil them in fresh water with the washed red lentils for 5-6 minutes. After this time, the liquid should no longer foam. Stir in the turmeric powder and simmer covered over low heat for 20 minutes. Add the salt and lemon juice and stir well. If the resulting lentil puree is too thick, add a little hot water. While the lentils are simmering, first fry the mustard seeds in hot oil. As soon as they start to pop, add the remaining spices and continue toasting briefly. To serve, divide the spice mixture among the individual dal portions, allowing everyone to stir in their own ingredients. Indian bread goes best with this dish.