Servings: 4
| 200g red lentils |
| 2 tbsp ghee, or vegetable oil for vegans |
| 1 small onion, finely chopped |
| 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped |
| 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, chopped |
| 2 tomatoes, chopped |
| 1 tsp cumin seeds |
| 1 tsp Mandala king masala |
| ½ tsp Mandala garam masala |
| Fresh coriander leaves, to serve |
Prepare:
| Rinse the lentils several times until the water runs clear, drain and set aside. |
| Peel chop and cut your tomatoes, onions garlic, ginger and green chilli as described in the ingredients list and set aside. |
Cook:
| In a large saucepan, add the ghee/oil, along with cumin seeds and gently fry until the cumin starts to sizzle. |
| Add the chopped onions and fry for 5 minutes until golden brown at the edges. |
| Add the garlic, ginger and fry for 2 minutes. |
| Add the Mandala king masala and gently fry for 30 seconds, stirring to make sure the spices do not burn. If the mixture starts to stick then add a splash of water and keep cooking until the water has evaporated away. |
| Add the tomatoes, stir and cook for another 2 minutes. |
| Add the lentils into the pan and gently fold everything together. |
| Add the salt to taste (about 1tsp) and 1 litre of water. Gently stir and bring to a boil. Once the dal reaches a boil, lower the heat to medium and simmer for about 20 minutes with the lid on. |
| Pro tip: If the water boils over and out from the pan while cooking, you can reduce the heat, or leave the lid slightly ajar to allow the steam to disappear. You can also try adding a splash of oil. |
| If required, gently skim the top of the dal to remove the starchy residue that accumulates while cooking. If using a “washed” dal, then this step is probably not required. |
| Once the dal is cooked through and soft, remove the lid, add the Mandala garam masala and continue to cook with the with the lid off allowing the water to evaporate until the dal has reached your desired consistency. |
Garnish:
| Add the dal into a serving bowl and garnish with fresh coriander leaves, squeeze of lime and optionally a knob of butter or decadent drizzle of ghee. Enjoy with rice or Indian bread. |
