When I started this blog in June last year, the very first recipe I posted was of dal, a South Asian lentil stew that can be enjoyed with bread or rice. I used yellow and red lentils for the recipe–that’s how my mother cooked the staple dal during my childhood. Recently, however, I have been experimenting with different kinds of lentils to create a recipe which is more forgiving in terms of oil. You will know what I mean if you have seen your mother temper the dal with copious amounts of ghee (clarified butter) or oil because “that is where the taste lies.” One cannot argue with a Punjabi mother about ghee, but one can create her own recipe.
And I think I have finally nailed down the balance between clean, tasty and the oil requirement. The lentils I used in this recipe are the yellow split pea lentils, which are packed with protein (20 grams/1cup) and a ton of flavor. I also snuck in some spinach into the dal, and that only enhanced the taste. This dal recipe only uses 1tbsp of oil yet the result is creamy and hearty. 🙂 It is also low on salt and relies on lemon juice for the flavor. You may add table salt if you like, of course.
To make the yellow split pea dal, or chana dal as Pakistanis would know, I pre-cooked my lentils and refrigerated them. This saves me time on week nights and helps make the recipe in about 20 minutes. If you prefer, you could also use canned lentils, but if you do, make sure to buy great quality ones without the synthetic taste and chemical treatments. If you boil the lentils, just boil with a sprinkle of salt until tender–about thirty minutes–and drain the excess water. I prefer soaking the lentils for an hour or so before cooking them–that reduces the cooking time and also removes anti-nutrients that may cause gas and other digestive issues.
Below is the recipe with a full nutrition profile. If you have questions, feel free to share in the comments or direct message. I hope you will give this simple, flavor and nutritious recipe a try. 🙂
Serves 3
Ingredients:
- Canola oil (1tbsp)
- Onion (1 chopped)
- Garlic (2 cloves–minced)
- Ginger (1tsp–grated)
- Tomatoes (2 chopped or 1/4 cup canned)
- Green chillies (2 chopped)
- Red chili powder (1tsp)
- Cumin powder (1/2 tsp)
- Turmeric powder (1/4 tsp)
- Himalayan pink salt (generous sprinkle)
- Baby spinach (1 cup packed)
- Yellow split peas (1 cup boiled/canned)
- Water (3 cups)
- Lemon (1–juiced)
- Coriander sprigs (6-10–chopped)
Method:
- Sauté the onion in oil until golden brown.
- Add ginger & garlic and sauté until fragrant. If the mixture sticks, use a splash of water to deglaze the pan instead of more oil.
- Now add tomatoes and green chillies, as well as all the spices. Cook for a couple of minutes. Again, add water to deglaze the pan if needed.
- When the oil separates from this mixture (about 2 minutes), add the cooked/canned lentils and the baby spinach.
- Stir for about 2-3 minutes, add the water, and let it cook covered for 5-8 minutes until everything is well combined.
- Garnish with lemon juice and coriander and serve alongside bread, rice, or quinoa. I had mine with brown rice and a mixed greens and cucumber salad. 🙂
