Never Daal
A golden coconut lentil daal crowned with a zingy shredded coconut and lime sambal - never dull, never daal.
Serves: 8
Prep time: 35 minutes, plus 3 hours soaking
Cook time: 55 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large red onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3cm knob of ginger, grated
1 bird's eye chilli, sliced (optional)
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
5 curry leaves
1 1/2 cups (305g) red split lentils, soaked in water for at least 3 hours
2 cups (500ml) boiling water
1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
1 small red capsicum, seeded and diced
100g cherry tomatoes
For the sambal topper
1 cup (65g) shredded coconut
1 long green chilli, finely chopped
1 lime, zested
3 tablespoons fried shallots
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon chopped coriander stem, leaves reserved for serving
Optional extras
fried curry leaves and yellow mustard seeds, fried eggs, lime cheeks, roast pumpkin wedges
METHOD
Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan over medium heat and saute the onion, garlic, ginger, chilli and mustard seeds for 5 minutes.
Add the curry powder, turmeric, garam masala and curry leaves and cook, stirring, over high heat for 10 minutes.
Drain the lentils and rinse with cold water, then add to the pan and stir well. Pour in the boiling water and bring the mixture to the boil.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the coconut milk, capsicum and tomatoes and simmer, stirring, for 10 minutes.
For the sambal, combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
Spoon the sambal over the daal and finish with the coriander leaves.
HINTS
The soak is worth planning for - soaked lentils cook faster and collapse into that proper creamy daal texture; overnight works too.
The sambal topper is the whole personality of this dish - it keeps in the fridge for 3 days and wakes up rice bowls and eggs, too.
Daal thickens dramatically as it sits, so loosen leftovers with a splash of water - it freezes brilliantly, just make the sambal fresh.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 8 - guide only):
Energy: approximately 11400kJ (2730 calories)
Protein: 85g
Fat: 150g
Saturated fat: 103g
Carbohydrates: 210g
Sugars: 25g
Fibre: 45g
Sodium: 2700mg
Note: excludes optional extras.
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.