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    September 2010
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    Palak Dal – My favorite lentil recipe

    I found this amazing recipe at 101cookbooks.com and thought it was THE RECIPE to post as my first real post over here.

    1 cup / 6.5 oz / 185 g white urid or urad daal, picked over and rinsed (I first used the red morrocan lentils which are great too)
    6 cups / 1.5 liters water, plus more if necessary
    1/2 pound (250 g) spinach, washed and finely chopped
    1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and finely chopped
    1/2 teaspoon turmeric (curcuma powder will do it too)
    2 medium green chile peppers, minced (I used red peppers which made the whole dish look more colorful)
    2 tomatoes, chopped

    1/2 teaspoon salt
    2 tablespoons butter
    1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
    1 teaspoon pure red chile powder
    a pinch of asafetida, optional
    more salt to taste
    juice of 1/2 a lemon
    1/4 cup cilantro (coriander), chopped

    In a large pot over medium-high heat combine the daal and water. Bring to a boil, then add the spinach, ginger, turmeric, 3/4 of the green chiles, and all of the tomatoes. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the lentils are extremely soft. You may need to add a bit more water during the cooking process to keep the lentils soupy. After an hour and a half, stir in the salt.

    In a separate pan, heat the butter and cumin and fry until the cumin seeds start to pop. Now add the red chile powder (and asafetida if you’re using it) and fry for another 30 seconds. Taste and add more asafetida if you like. Add this butter mixture to the lentils and allow to cook for another five minutes. Taste, and season with more salt if needed. I also enjoyed a touch of lemon juice added at this point. Serve topped with the cilantro and the remaining green chiles.

    Serves 4 with rice or roti (I used garlic & cilantro Naan Bread).

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