Black Daal Food

INDIAN BLACK LENTILS (KAALI DAAL)

Steps:

• Soak the urad daal (black lentils) in a bowl of water overnight.
• Boil the soaked lentils with 3 cups of water, 1 sliced onion, green chilies, asafetida, and salt to taste till they are very tender. Set aside.
• In a separate pan, heat the oil and fry the other onion until soft. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for 1 minute.
• Add the tomatoes, coriander, cumin, and red chili powder and fry for another 5 minutes.
• Add the reserved boiled lentils and enough water to make a thick gravy-like consistency and mix well. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Pour in the whisked cream and mix well. Turn off the fire.
• In another small pan, heat the ghee and when hot add the cumin seeds and cook till they stop spluttering.
• Pour this into the lentils (it will all sizzle) and mix well.
• Serve hot with a vegetable side dish and naans (tandoor-baked leavened Indian flatbread) or butter chicken and naan.

CREAMY BLACK DHAL WITH CRISPY ONIONS

Steps:

• Soak the beans in cold water for 4 hrs (or overnight, if you like).
• Melt the butter or ghee in a large pan, then add the onions, garlic and ginger, and cook slowly for 10-15 mins until the onions are starting to caramelise. Stir in the spices, coriander stalks and 100ml water. Pour into the slow cooker (or leave in the pan if cooking on the hob). Add the passata and whole red chilli. Drain the beans and add these too, then top up with 400ml water. Season well, set the slow cooker to Low and cook for 5-6 hrs (or cover and cook for 2 hrs over a very low heat on the hob).
• Once cooked, the dhal should be very thick and the beans tender. Stir in the cream, check the seasoning and serve in bowls with naan bread, rice or in a jacket potato, with your choice of toppings. To freeze the dhal, cool completely, then divide into containers or sandwich bags. Freeze for up to 2 months, defrost and heat thoroughly before eating.

BLACK DAAL

Steps:

• Place lentils in a large bowl. Cover with water and let stand overnight.
• Drain lentils and add to a large saucepan along with 3 cups water, 1 sliced onion, chiles, and asafetida; season with salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until lentils are very tender, about 30 minutes.
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add remaining onion and cook, stirring, until soft. Add ginger and garlic; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, coriander, ground cumin, and chili powder. Cook, stirring, until tomatoes are softened and mixture is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
• Drain lentils, reserving cooking water. Add lentils to skillet along with enough of the reserved cooking water to make a thick gravy-like consistency. Let simmer about 10 minutes. Stir in heavy cream until well combined; remove from heat.
• In a small saucepan, heat ghee until hot. Carefully add cumin seeds and cook until they stop popping. Carefully pour mixture over lentils (it will sizzle) and mix to combine. Serve immediately with naan.

BLACK DAL

Steps:

• Place the black and green lentils into a medium saucepan, add the water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain, then mash the lentils and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the onion and fry until it starts to colour. Add the garlic and fry for a few seconds.
• Stir in the finely chopped chillies, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook for one minute, stirring constantly.
• Stir in the chopped tomato, the sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the mashed lentils and bring to the boil.
• Stir in a large handful of chopped coriander and serve.

CHEAT'S BLACK DHAL

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toss the cauliflower, including the leaves, with 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp turmeric and 1 tbsp oil. Season well, spread out on a baking tray and bake for 15-20 mins or until cooked through and a little charred.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and add the remaining spices. Once the cumin seeds begin to pop, add the onion and cook for 5 mins or until softened. Stir in the garlic and ginger paste, chilli, coriander stalks and 1 tbsp olive oil, and sizzle for a few mins until fragrant. Stir in the lentils, coating them in the spices, then add the coconut milk and turn up the heat so it bubbles away. Cook for a few mins until the lentils have absorbed some of the coconut milk, then pour in the lime juice and season.
• Divide the dhal into four bowls, top with the cauliflower and a scattering of coriander leaves, and serve with lime wedges on the side.