Dahl - how do you make it? What do you eat it with?

[TomAllenWife]

Following on from another thread, I saw a couple of people mention Dahl as a cheap meal

I have lentils, butternut squash and loads of spices

So what is your recipe? And what do you eat it with?

Thanks

I also make the Hairy Bikers one in my Instant Pot. I serve with rice or chapati / naan & sometimes spiced roasted cauliflower. Going to bookmark some of these others to try!

A typical Indian dish is Dahl curry with fried spiced fish. So yummy and if I can be bothered a popadom on the side. I boil the lentil with a little salt usually in the instant pot. Then i cook the spices with fresh tomatoes then add to lentils. The flavours come out really well and it didn’t taste boiled.

Can anyone recommend a slow cooker recipe for it?

I follow a recipe from one of the roasting tin books that's really nice, with lime juice squeezed into the dhal, but it doesn't make huge portions.

I found a dhal mix in my local health food shop, which is mainly lentils but also various spices and dried onions. I simmer that in oil for a bit, then add a tin of coconut milk and water/stock if it gets dry before the lentils are cooked. Just before the end I bung in some frozen spinach. I tend to eat it by itself, with maybe another side veg and some of my home-made chutney on top. Its one of my favourite low-effort suppers!

Food of the gods... cheap, delicious and even better when it's been frozen and reheated.

I LOVE Dahl, can't make it as good as the Indian restaurants near me though, they get an extra level of creaminess that I don't get when I try. I like to eat it with roti.

Theres lots of different dhals and some take longer to cook, therefore made using a different method. Favourites are red, chana, lobia, moong and urad. I like to mix some too occasionally.

@Thecatisboss

I make the Hairy Dieters recipe which is red lentils and sweet potato in my instant pot and serve with yoghurt, lime pickle and rice.

That sounds amazing!

Oh noo. Now I'm craving my mums dhaal 😭 no one makes it better than her, no one.

I make dal to go alongside other
dishes. But it’s best for lunch the next day with mango chutney and flatbread and a onion/cucumber/tomato salad if I can be arsed.

My DP makes the best red lentil dahl. It's very creamy with coconut milk and we always just eat it as is. Or it's nice with a bit of minty yoghurt. One of my friend's mums growing up would make chana dahl with chickpeas fried up across the top and a teaspoon of marmite stirred in at the very end. We thought it was such a treat! Probably an abomination really ... but it is surprisingly good.

(Ugh, and I really can spell dhal.)

I like Anna Jones' quick carrot dal

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/apr/22/carrot-dal-self-saucing-pasta-recipe-anna-jones-modern-cook

I don't usually bother with the pickle element

Chana dal is the best. But moong dal is a close second!

I don't think there is a spelling issue. Spell dal how you like. It's from a language with a non-Roman alphabet so there's no direct correspondence with our letters.

www.reddit.com/r/IndianFood/comments/k8smia/dal_spelling/

Quick question : do you fry the spices in with the onion before adding the liquid and lentils? What temperature do you have the hob and for how long?

My failed efforts at curry/dhal always hits the back of the throat and tastes raw

Fry onions and garlic. Add spices and cook
Add chopped Tinned tomatoes
Add stock
Add red lentils
Cook until soft
Add any vegetables you want (squash in cubes)
Add coconut milk if you have or like but optional
Taste and add what it needs.
:)

Snozcumbers, usually...

@Snailhaterz2

I found a dhal mix in my local health food shop, which is mainly lentils but also various spices and dried onions. I simmer that in oil for a bit, then add a tin of coconut milk and water/stock if it gets dry before the lentils are cooked. Just before the end I bung in some frozen spinach. I tend to eat it by itself, with maybe another side veg and some of my home-made chutney on top. Its one of my favourite low-effort suppers!

which health food shop please? Sounds like it would save me from buying lots of spices that never get used!!😀

do you fry the spices in with the onion before adding the liquid and lentils?

No, you fry onions and spices and add at the end. You can also add spinach or fresh coriander at this point too.