Methi Dal

Red lentils with fenugreek. Serves 10.

Ingredients

• 1 lb whole red lentils
• 2–3 Tbsp oil for sautéing
• 2 red onions, finely chopped
• 3 carrots, diced
• 3 jalapeños, diced
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 bunch chard, stems removed and diced, leaves chopped
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2 Tbsp ground fenugreek seed
• 5 Tbsp butter or ghee
• 2 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 1 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 5 dried red peppers, crushed
• 2 Tbsp crushed dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
• 2 tsp salt

Procedure

Thread 1: Lentils

1. Sauté the onion in oil until it begins to brown.
2. Add carrots, chard stems, and jalapeño. Cook 5-10 minutes.
3. Add ground spices. Cook 2 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes and salt. Cook 5-10 minutes.
5. Add lentils, chard leaves, and water to cover.

Add more water as necessary to keep everything covered. Be careful not to overcook the lentils. They should take about 20 minutes.

Thread 2: Tempering

1. Heat 5 Tbsp butter in a pan.
2. Add:
   • 2 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
   • 1 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
   • 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
   • 5 dried red peppers, crushed
3. Wait for the butter to bubble and then cook for 2 minutes.

Thread#join

When the tempering is done, add it to the lentils so the flavors have time to blend. Add crushed dried fenugreek leaves a few minutes before removing from heat.

Serving suggestions

Brown Rice

Notes

You can substitute yellow split peas for lentils, but you'll have to observe the following changes:

• rinse the split peas thoroughly until they stop producing foam.
• cook them separately (45–60 minutes) and add them to the tomatoes and onions at the point where you'd add raw lentils.