Food Day 2012 - Tarka Dal

I picked up a bag of Natco Chana Dal (dried yellow split peas) without really having any idea at all what to do with it.

I decided to do the obvious and make tarka dal.

I made this quite soupy and ate it as a main course with home made naan bread...which I may blog about another time if I get the chance.

It turned out great and to me it tasted very authentic...reminded me so much of eating Dal Fry in Goa with my parents at Brittos restaurant.

I could live off this stuff....and it's good for me...I think this has got to be one of the ultimate vegetarian dishes...simple yet complex...nutritious, satisfying and healthy...oh and pretty cheap to make!

My recipe is below.

Tarka Dal Recipe
Serves 6/8 as a main course

Ingredients:
500g chana dal , rinsed in cold water
1.5 litre water
1 litre vegetable stock (I use Swiss Marigold)
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2 onions, finely chopped
1 whole green chillies, pricked all over with a fork
2 inches of fresh ginger, finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
6 tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp garam masala (I'm lucky enough to have some special stuff that my sister's Indian husband gave me)
3 tsp ground coriander
salt and freshly ground black pepper
bunch of freshly chopped coriander

Method: 

• Put the lentils and the water in a pan with the bay leaves. Bring to the boil and then lower the heat and simmer with a lid on for about 45 minutes until the peas are cooked. Skim off the froth with a slotted spoon. 
• Once cooked, use a potato masher or back of a large spoon to mash up the peas. Don't over do it, it's nice to have some discernible yellow peas in the mix.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan.
• Fry the cumin seeds for about 30 seconds....savour the smell...
• Then add the chopped onions, chilli, ginger and fry gently for about 5 minutes.
• Whizz up the garlic and tomatoes in a food processor until pureed. Add in with the onions.
• Now stir in the rest of the dried spices....savour this smell...mmmmm.....
• Pour in about 1/4 of your vegetable stock...mix in well.
• Simmer gently for about 15 minutes...your whole house should be smelling marvelous by now.
• Add the lentils (including the water they are in) and the rest of the stock,  bring back to the boil.
• Cook gently for another 5 minutes.
• Season, stir through the fresh coriander and serve.

This is excellent the day after, in fact, it tastes even better reheated the next day. Just add some extra vegetable stock when warming up if it has become very thick.

Read more in the 2012 Food Day "blogalong":