Easy Dal Recipe

Optimized for time, effort, and whatever ingredients I usually have on hand.

Serves 2-3 portions, scales up easily

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter + 1 tbsp neutral oil
• approximately 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp your favorite curry powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• a few good twists of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup red lentils
• 2 cups water
• salt to taste

Melt butter + oil on medium-low heat. Saute the onion until transluscent and slightly golden. Add garlic, ginger, tomato paste, and all the spices (curry powder, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, bay leaf). Continue cooking until the tomato paste has darkened to a more brick red-like hue - everything should smell fragrant and delicious at this point.

Add water and lentils, and bring the heat up to a simmer. Let cook for 20 minutes, or until the lentils have cooked down to a soft, porridge-like consistency. Add salt to taste, and optionally, another pat of butter to give it a creamier texture. Serve with rice or the flatbread of your choice.