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tealinWhile unpacking my foodtuffs into the pantry, I kept coming across bags of lentils. Evidently, in my squirrelly instincts to stock up against Brexit, I kept forgetting I had lentils and bought more. This is fine; lentils are good for protein and fibre, and I have discovered that, added to salad, lentils keep you full longer than just leaves and veg and stuff. But it's not quite salad weather yet, so I went in search of a good dhal recipe which I could throw in the slow cooker and get more or less for free.
I started with this one but made some adjustments for what I had, and what I ended up with was so good I had second helpings even though I wasn't hungry, just because it tasted so good. I don't usually do that with my own cooking! So here is my version, in case you also have a Brexit stash to work through:
½ cup dry brown lentils
1 cup or so water
2 bay leaves
2 onions, diced
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp crushed ginger (the kind you get in a bottle and keep in the fridge – probably better with a fresh thumb of grated ginger, but this is what I had)
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp paprika
<1 tsp powdered garlic (better fresh, but didn't have any; powdered is more potent so be careful)
½ tsp? fenugreek (I sprinkled it in, didn't measure)
1 tsp green harissa (didn't have chili powder)
1 box/tin chopped tomatoes (400g, however they come)
1 Tbsp salt (or to taste)
1 Tbsp butter or butter-like substance
THE NIGHT BEFORE
Put the lentils in the water to soak, with the bay leaves
IN THE MORNING (9:00 if cooking from cold, later if your slow cooker warms up quickly or you pre-heat your lentils in the microwave, which is an option)
Put the lentils, with their water and the bay leaves, in the slow cooker, and turn it on high. Check it afer a few hours to see if you need to add more water.
IN THE AFTERNOON (like, I dunno, 2:30 or 3)
Dice the onion. In a skillet, heat the oil and cumin seeds, until you can smell the cumin. Then add the diced onion and sauté until the onion starts to turn translucent. At this point, mix in the ginger, and sprinkle over the mixture the turmeric, coriander, garlic, fenugreek, and paprika. When these have cooked in, add the tomatoes, and cook a little while but not too long. Once it's all a nice spicy paste, add it to the lentils in the slow cooker. Mix well, add salt and butter, and leave it on high for a few hours. It will start to smell AMAZING. Leave it. It will get better. By dinnertime (regular dinnertime, not 'this smells so good I am unilaterally declaring dinnertime') it will be ready to serve with some rice. YUM YUM SO HEALTHY.
I thought it was looking kind of watery, so shortly after throwing everything into the slow cooker I cubed a potato and added that too; I'm not sure it was really necessary, in the end, but it was tasty, so that is an option.
The one thing I didn't have, which I knew I would need more of, was the ground coriander. Last night I had mulled making the trip in to Cambridge today, as I needed a few other things as well, but this morning I was really tired, and as I had to drop some things in the postbox by the village shop I thought I might as well check to see what they had in there, as all I really needed was the coriander.
Well it turns out, the lady who runs the shop is Chinese, so I won't need to make regular trips into Cambridge for Asian food as expected! There were lots of noodles in stock as well as giant bags of rice (proper rice!) and frozen dumplings. My neighbour, whose gardening gloves I returned later, said she'll order in anything you ask for, so that's my rice vinegar and Chinkiang vinegar sorted – the other things I'd have gone into town for. I was too late for it today, but on Tuesdays the fish man comes with his van and you can get fresh seafood right there! Village Lyfe 4Eva.
I started with this one but made some adjustments for what I had, and what I ended up with was so good I had second helpings even though I wasn't hungry, just because it tasted so good. I don't usually do that with my own cooking! So here is my version, in case you also have a Brexit stash to work through:
½ cup dry brown lentils
1 cup or so water
2 bay leaves
2 onions, diced
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp crushed ginger (the kind you get in a bottle and keep in the fridge – probably better with a fresh thumb of grated ginger, but this is what I had)
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp paprika
<1 tsp powdered garlic (better fresh, but didn't have any; powdered is more potent so be careful)
½ tsp? fenugreek (I sprinkled it in, didn't measure)
1 tsp green harissa (didn't have chili powder)
1 box/tin chopped tomatoes (400g, however they come)
1 Tbsp salt (or to taste)
1 Tbsp butter or butter-like substance
THE NIGHT BEFORE
Put the lentils in the water to soak, with the bay leaves
IN THE MORNING (9:00 if cooking from cold, later if your slow cooker warms up quickly or you pre-heat your lentils in the microwave, which is an option)
Put the lentils, with their water and the bay leaves, in the slow cooker, and turn it on high. Check it afer a few hours to see if you need to add more water.
IN THE AFTERNOON (like, I dunno, 2:30 or 3)
Dice the onion. In a skillet, heat the oil and cumin seeds, until you can smell the cumin. Then add the diced onion and sauté until the onion starts to turn translucent. At this point, mix in the ginger, and sprinkle over the mixture the turmeric, coriander, garlic, fenugreek, and paprika. When these have cooked in, add the tomatoes, and cook a little while but not too long. Once it's all a nice spicy paste, add it to the lentils in the slow cooker. Mix well, add salt and butter, and leave it on high for a few hours. It will start to smell AMAZING. Leave it. It will get better. By dinnertime (regular dinnertime, not 'this smells so good I am unilaterally declaring dinnertime') it will be ready to serve with some rice. YUM YUM SO HEALTHY.
I thought it was looking kind of watery, so shortly after throwing everything into the slow cooker I cubed a potato and added that too; I'm not sure it was really necessary, in the end, but it was tasty, so that is an option.
The one thing I didn't have, which I knew I would need more of, was the ground coriander. Last night I had mulled making the trip in to Cambridge today, as I needed a few other things as well, but this morning I was really tired, and as I had to drop some things in the postbox by the village shop I thought I might as well check to see what they had in there, as all I really needed was the coriander.
Well it turns out, the lady who runs the shop is Chinese, so I won't need to make regular trips into Cambridge for Asian food as expected! There were lots of noodles in stock as well as giant bags of rice (proper rice!) and frozen dumplings. My neighbour, whose gardening gloves I returned later, said she'll order in anything you ask for, so that's my rice vinegar and Chinkiang vinegar sorted – the other things I'd have gone into town for. I was too late for it today, but on Tuesdays the fish man comes with his van and you can get fresh seafood right there! Village Lyfe 4Eva.
