Ingredients for Debra's Dal
Here is the recipe for Debra’s Delicious Dal, made with either red lentils or split yellow mung beans.
Ingredients
- 1 cup red lentils or mung bean dal (split yellow dal)
- 1/2 -1 tsp. black mustard seed
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. cayenne (to taste)
- pinch of hing (asafoetida) for digestion
- Salt to taste
- 1 medium onion, chopped or some shallots, chopped
- 1 small garlic clove (minced) (can omit if you do not tolerate garlic)
- 1 tsp. fresh ginger root (can use dried powdered)
- 1-2 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash (or any favorite veggies)
- 1-2 good-sized tomatoes (can use soaked dried tomatoes, or canned)
- Fresh cilantro
- juice of fresh lemon & lime
Cook the lentils
- Soak 1 cup of dry lentils for 3 hours
- Rinse thoroughly 4-5 times (before or after soaking).
- Cook the lentils with 3-3 1/2 cups water in one of two ways:
- Pressure cooker 10-12 minutes;
- Regular pot on stove top: bring to boil and simmer for 40 minutes until soft.
Note: Debra uses a 2 quart pressure cooker: Swiss KUHN RIKON brand.
Cook the spices and veggies
Saute black mustard seed in 1-2 T. olive oil on medium heat (or ghee on higher heat) until the seeds pop — Keep lid on!
Sauté the mustard seeds
Then add other spices, salt, mix together and add chopped onion or shallots and other veggies; and saute until cooked. This takes about 2-3 minutes. As soon as you hear them popping, turn heat off. Add the rest of the spices. Then add the veggies. Saute for 8 minutes, medium heat.
Sauté the veggies
Add tomatoes. (optional & seasonal) Add a little water if not using tomatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients
- Then add the mung bean dal.
- Then add brown basmati rice (optional).
- Debra adds tomatoes last and some extra water
- Cook around 10-15 minutes depending on how you like your veggies.
- Mix with lentils and “salt them well”!
- When all done, add a handful of fresh chopped cilantro and lemon or lime juice; Serve with your brown basmati! Enjoy!!
Garnish with lemon and cilantro and serve
Cooking brown basmati
Debra cooks brown basmati rice in a ceramic pot inside the pressure cooker. Very macrobiotic of her, no? Ceramic rice pots may be purchased from Gold Mine Natural Foods or you might do a google search for clay/ceramic cooking pots. Debra has been using the one from Goldmine for 35 years. She recently purchased a new one.
How to cook brown rice in a ceramic pot in a pressure cooker:
- Add 4 cups of water directly into the pressure cooker;
- 1 cup of brown rice (rinse well) & 1 cup of water in ceramic bowl and put lid on;
- Put the bowl in pressure cooker: cook for 25 minutes.
Debra says: Goldmine also has amazing raw sauerkraut…
Tags: dal, lentils, mung beans, recipes
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