When tomato season arrives in the summer, we try to find every way to showcase them. While they make a great addition to a salad, cooking them ever so lightly in a delicate lentil stew results in a delicious dal. Be sure to use ripe heirloom tomatoes.
ingredients
1/2 cup ‘moong masoor’ dal
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
10 to 12 kari leaves
2 cups chopped heirloom tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped mint
Serves 3 to 4
instructions
Wash and rinse the lentils 2 to 3 times then soak them in cold tap water for about 2 hours. They will double in size.
Drain and combine the lentils with 3 fresh cups of water, ginger, turmeric, red chili powder and salt in a stockpot and bring them to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the stockpot and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender and the mixture is thick. Turn the heat off.
In a small frying pan, heat the coconut oil and when it is just shy of smoking, add the mustard seeds and kari leaves. Almost immediately, add the chopped tomatoes and fry on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes then slide the entire mixture into the lentils.
Just before serving, bring the entire dal to a quick boil, turn the heat off and stir in the mint leaves.
notes & variations
Both moong dal, the small yellow lentil, and the orange masoor lentil are the simplest most basic form of a legume. Use one or the other or a combination of.
Coconut oil imparts a sweet delicious flavor – substitute with ghee or olive oil if preferred.
Instead of kari leaves, use the zest of one lemon (no need to fry in oil, just add to the dal at the beginning).
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