Cinnamon Club Panchmael Yellow Dhal

This will probably need a quick trip to an Asian store, to get the Dhals (lentils). For me this means getting off the tube one stop early to shop at the large emporium on Turnpike lane. I only needed the 5 dhals but ended up buying loads of other things.

2 tbsp Yellow Moong dhal

4 tbsp  toor dhal (yellow gram)

1 tbsp split chana dhal

1 tbsp split white urad dhal

2 tbsp split red lentils

700ml water to boil

½ tsp turmeric

1 ½ tsp salt

2 tbsp ghee (I just used vegetable oil)

1 large onion, finely chopped

1tsp chilli powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 tomato, chopped

1 tbsp coriander, chopped

A squeeze of lemon juice

For the Tadka (tempering)

1 tbsp ghee/oil

1 dried red chilli crumbled, or a fresh one, sliced

½ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp mustard seeds

4 cloves garlic, sliced

Panchmael means it has 5 dhals. You could make it with fewer but I think 5 is lucky and the contrasts are lovely. The boy isn’t home yet so you have time to make this properly  without him asking when dinner will be ready.

Pop a Ravi Shankar CD on – ideally an evening raga to relax your mind. Mix the dhal and soak for 20 minutes and then drain them and  bring to the boil with the 700ml of (fresh) water and half the turmeric. Skim off any scum and cook for around 25 minutes.  The dhal should be looking mashed up except for the chana dhal.

Heat the oil and fry the onion until golden brown, and then ad the dry spices. As soon as they aromatise, add the chopped tomato with as much of its juice as you can manage.  Cook until soft and then pour over the lentils. If it’s looking too thick, pour on some boiling water. Don’t forget to stir from time to time so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan and burns.

The boy is home. Luckily he thinks it smells good! Sit him down as it’s ready to go. In a small frying pan get the oil hot and add the Tadka ingredients. Get the spices hot and popping. Pour the soup into bowls and add a squeeze of lemon and some coriander leaves to both. Lastly pour over the Tadka which gives both flavour and a crunch.

Normally I’d serve with rice but this is filling on its own and the mix of  dhals gives this a lovely grainy, varied texture as it is. The boy liked  the last dhal I made (which used oily toor dhal) and yet he can see how different this is. He jokes about vegetarians eating lentils and yet he likes this and really doesn’t notice how often we don’t eat meat. I’m really not trying to cut down his meat intake at all – just to feed him good tasty food that I know he will love.