Servings: 6
Dal—a thick, spicy Indian stew made with legumes like chickpeas and lentils—is a classic vegetarian dish. It’s perfect for nights when you want quick, flavor-packed comfort food.
In a food processor, pulse the onion, garlic, ginger, and chile in 1-second intervals until finely chopped. (Don’t run the processor constantly or the mixture will become too watery.)
Heat the oil in a 4- to 5-quart pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to pop and turn gray, about 1 minute, stir in the garam masala, onion mixture, lentils, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, turmeric, 6 cups of water, and 1-1/2 tsp. salt.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cover. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the cilantro.
Serve with Basmati Rice.
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Really liked this! I'm always looking for ways to use up my garam masala (given that here in Edmonton, it seems you have to buy it in large quantities). It was delicious over a little quinoa and topped with a piece of baked fish (I used steelhead trout, topped with a citrus rub and lime slices at 375F for 12 mins).
This was okay, not fantastic. Heeding other reviews, I added four cups liquid rather than six. I used vegetable stock rather than water. After tasting, I added curry powder to the mix (I started with garam masala in there). I felt it needed some depth and added about 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, which did help. I felt like it needed more heat, honestly. Served with some Greek yogurt.
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