White Lentils Fusion
White Lentils Fusion
Apart from being a most versatile base ingredient, Urad Dhal is one of the most protein rich legumes, a whooping 22%. Urad Dhal comes in two different forms, one with its shell on when it is black and another one with its shell off when it is white. Here we are using the shell-off version, hence the title White Lentils.
Often recipes involving some sort of dhal ask for the dhal to be cooked in a pressure cooker. Apparently this should make the cooking process faster. My experience though is that this is not always the case. This recipe is without using a pressure cooker and as it turned out was quicker done than with the pressure cooker.
We are are blessed here in this little urban village with fresh spices and veggies from South East Asia, Far East Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. I call this dish dhal fusion because it is a composition of the flavours from around our place. It is just the way many families are cooking here, it always ends up as a fusion of what is currently in season.
The recipe is part of a main dish but can also be presented as substantial side dish.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Getting the white lentils (urid dhal) ready
Here are two ways to get the lentils ready for cooking, one involves overnight soaking, the other just 2h soaking in hot water before cooking.
Both require the lentils to be throughly rinsed.Place lentils into saucepan and rinse in cold water until the water runs clear. Drain the water.
The easy soaking method:
Pour hot water over lentils and fill saucepan until about 2cm above lentils. Let it sit over night with the lid on.The quick 2h soaking method used here:
Rinse until water runs clear, drain the water. Pour boiling water over lentils and fill saucepan until about 2cm above lentils. Let it sit for 1-2h with the lid on. -
Cook the lentils
Rinse the white lentils again until water runs clear.
Fill up with boiling water again up to about 2cm above surface, add the turmeric and cook at medium heat for about 20 minutes until lentils soft, i.e., just a tick past al dente. Remove
The lentils should come out like shown in the photo. A bit like how white or brown rice would look like; individual kernels, no lumpy mush.
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Prepare the spices
Add the olive oil to a small saucepan or pan and bring to medium heat.
Add the finely cut ginger, garlic, onions, curry powder and fennel. Saute until onions turn soft and glossy.
Add the cooked lentils and diced tomatoes and simmer for another 5 min.
Serve as part of an main dish as shown here or as side dish.
The main dish in the photo shows:
Top left: green salad with garlic yoghurt
Top right: oven baked sweet potatoes (actually these came out of our wood heater during winter time
Bottom left: fragrant fusion brown rice
Bottom right: white lentils fusion
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Preparing the meal
Rinse off the remaining water. Add fresh hot water to about 1-2 cm above lentil surface. Err on the lower side rather than filling in too much water. You can alway add more if needed. The aim is to cool the lentils just like you would cook brown rice to the consistence of shiny individual kernels as shown in the image here, not like am overcooked porridge or mush. Add the turmeric and cook at medium heat for about 20 min
Note
I prefer to use fresh spices since they are all so easy at hand around here. This dish works also well with all ready made ground spices. Be a little experimental and try whatever spices are available around your place.
Urad Dhal – also known as the black gram has like many other dhals a high protein content.
