Hi Friends,
My introduction to Indian cooking started in 1996 when I was invited to a dinner party by my friend Richard. His friend Maya Kaimal (you’ve likely seen her simmer sauces at grocery stores) was going to make an Indian feast for a small group and I said yes immediately! I asked if I could come over early and watch and help Maya prepare. I always loved going out for Indian food, but had never attempted to cook it myself. Maya was wonderful and I was thrilled to see her in action. I learned so much just watching and listening. She told me her first cookbook Curried Favors was just released. I bought a copy the very next day and have been cooking from it ever since. Curried Favors is a collection of family recipes from South India. It was the perfect cookbook to get me started on what is now a regular practice. I have collected a few more books over the years - The India cookbook by Pushpesh Pant with over 1000 recipes from every region, as well as British cookbook author Maunika Gowardhan’s Indian Kitchen (she also has a great app that I use often). I also find great recipes online and on YouTube. Since I am now confident making Indian food, I often take parts of recipes and riff on them using some of my favorite ingredients.
I make dal regularly, especially when I want something comforting, filling, and vegetarian! Dal is made from pulses or lentils and there are many varieties, the most common being Chana dal and Toor dal. This link gives a great overview of all the varieties. While I have tried all of the lentils in the link above, my absolute favorite is Moong dal, or skinned and split mung beans. They are quick cooking and loaded with protein. I love the color and texture as well. They aren’t as easy to find in local markets, so I usually load up at Kalustyan’s, and more recently I’ve found Swad brand at Whole Foods.
The amount of spices in Indian cooking can feel daunting to most people, but once you have some of the basics it doesn’t feel overwhelming. This spice box or Masala Dabba is common in India and I love mine. The smell is heavenly when you lift the lid! I keep the following: cumin seed, turmeric, fennel seed, black mustard seed, ground coriander, ground cumin, and cayenne pepper. These are the spices I use regularly as well as dried whole curry leaves (dried are as flavorful as fresh if you can find them, and they freeze well), Kashmiri chili powder, whole dried Indian red chilis, whole fenugreek, and its leaves. If you can find a place to buy small amounts I highly recommend it when starting out. I also use copious amounts of ghee. My fav brand is Spring Sunrise. I have a dairy allergy, so I always buy the 32 oz since I use it everyday. The above brand is so good you can eat it by the spoonful because, no joke, it tastes like caramel! Heath tip: Yes, it’s high in fat, but also high in monounsaturated Omega 3’s (like salmon), as well as loads of fat-soluble vitamin A, D, E and K and helps the body absorb fat soluble vitamins and minerals from other foods.
So, back to my dal. As I mentioned above, my recipe is an amalgam of a few different styles that I put together and I think it’s pretty damn good! (The base of this recipe is adapted from one of my online searches from Monica Bhide's Everything Indian Cookbook.)
Simple Lentil Curry
Makes 4 servings
1 cup yellow moong dal (split yellow mung beans)
4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, split
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 small red onion, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 green serrano chili, seeded and minced (you can sub with a small jalapeño or a small Thai chili, but watch out for the heat!)
1 small tomato, finely chopped, or a few from a can of whole peeled
1/4 piece of preserved lemon, finely diced
The juice of 1 whole lemon
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
Pick through the dal and remove any debris. Rinse the dal thoroughly under running water in a fine-mesh sieve. Drain thoroughly.
In a deep saucepan, bring water, turmeric and 1 tablespoon of oil to a boil over high heat. Add dal. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until dal is very soft. If the water starts to dry up, add another 1/2 cup water. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds and when they begin to sizzle, add onion. Sauté for 7 to 8 minutes, until onions are well browned.
Add ginger, chilies and tomato. Cook, stirring occasionally, for another 8 minutes or until tomato is soft.
Add salt to taste and cilantro and mix well. Add onion mixture to the dal along with the preserved lemon and fresh lemon juice and mix well.
*A simple moong dal can be dressed up by changing the tadka, the hot seasoning that goes on top.
Tadka:
1 to 2 TBLS Ghee (I like a lot)
1 or 2 whole dried red chilies
5 to 10 small curry leaves
1 teaspoon white, or skinless, split urad dal (black gram, a type of legume — see link above on lentils — you can also skip this ingredient)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
Heat the ghee or oil in a small sauté pan. Add the ingredients and give them a few seconds to sizzle. Pour the tadka over the cooked dal and stir well to combine. Serve hot.
Note: Dal gets very thick when cooled. When you want to reheat, add a little water to smooth it out to the consistency you like.
If you feel overwhelmed regarding the spice collection, Moji Masala creates fantastic flavor packets along with recipes and videos so you can make the dishes at home without having to go on a crazy buying spree at the spice store. They make it easy and the dishes are delicious.
I must note that homemade Indian food tastes almost nothing like what you get in a restaurant. Its flavors are more pronounced and most dishes aren’t bathed in a heavy sauces. It’s bright, delicious, and healthy. It’s also an anti-inflammatory bonanza. Besides Italian cooking, which is part of my DNA, Indian is my favorite food to cook and eat. The prep is part of the magic and easier than you think.
Love,
Nancy jo
Books:
I’m on a used book mission! See options for the following books:
FOOD: Indian Home Cooking
Beautiful photo! I can’t wait to eat with you. XO
Ok, you know what? I'll give this a shot but this kind of thing isn't meant for us mere mortals. I'd rather you invite me over when you're doing the Indian cooking. You've mastered the mung bean and btw are the undisputed queen of the freakin' lentil.