Dhal days - how do you make dhal?

[unlikelychump]

It is boxing day today in our house. I decided to make a dhal for the first time ever. I slightly busked the recipe, it was delicious.

It is my new thing. How do you make yours?

This one's really delicious . . .
https://glebekitchen.com/tarka-dhal/

first time dh made me tarka dhal with yellow split peas, he hadn't soaked them and it took hours to be ready, eventually conceded red lentils were better!

i usually order tarka dhal at a restaurant, that is all i want really, although others always want a spoon of my tarka dhal!

I use a recipe from an M&S book of curries that is nearly 40 years old, so I doubt it's authentic.

Red lentils soaked and cooked on their own, then added to a sauce made by frying onion, (longer the better), then garlic and ginger, then frying in cardamom , coriander, garam masala, chilli and finally a tin of tomatoes. Then salt and sugar.

These days we add in a bit chopped up chorizo and cook for ages to blend it all in.

It's good to eat straight away, but better the next day.

I prefer split mung to the masoor dal. It's softer and creamier and cooks just as quickly. Meera Sodha's dal from the Guardian a few years ago is my go to (cumin seeds and a few mustard seeds, garlic, chopped tomatoes all fried off in bland oil or ghee with tumeric, then add split husked mung dal and stir add water and salt and cook till the dal is soft. you can add a tadka of fried onions and chillis and some garam to pour over the top so it sizzles). That was all from memory so if it differs from the original I apologise but it'll taste just as delicious.

Oh! And coriander leaves! How could I forget the final garnish!

This is our favourite recipe:

Dal tadka

We make huge batches and freeze in single meal portions.

This really is great, some v simple, others more complicated. What is the view on smoothing them with a stick blender? (Autistic kid!)

Fresh toms - cook them off for ages
garam masala at the last minute

Stick blender? If it works for you do it!
Having dal tomorrow with easy flatbreads
(Bangbang tofu tonight)

I like a little bit of texture to mine so I try to catch the lentils when they're soft but just before they break down into mush. Definitely not camp liquidiser! For extra flavour I like to pop some whole.spices (cinnamon stick and cloves generally) in the water with the lentils and take out before mixing in the spiced butter which generally has been used to fry onions and finely chopped spinach.

Mine is similar but I don't like tumeric or ginger so I add dried mixed herbs and mushrooms.

I add mushrooms which have been cut in half to mine.

another recipe suggestion for dhal fans. Lebanese Fal - fave beans and chickpeas, cooked with olive oil and lemon juice.

Bookmarking this great thread!!

Typo: fava beans and chickpeas. Some recipes just have fava beans. Traditionally a breakfast dish. Some differences in how it is served. I like it best mashed up as it is cooked. It is served with flatbreads, chopped tomatoes, chopped peppers and chopped onions.