I want you to try this dish. I think you’ll like it. If you are a fan of dhal, especially thick pulpy dhal, or dhal that you can eat with a spoon (like soup), you will definitely enjoy this vegetable dhal curry. It’s excellent with rice or roti too.
Most of the time we make plain dhal, but for many years now, I have been making various types of dhal, using a variety of peas, beans, and lentils and adding vegetables thereby converting them to some type of vegetable dhal. Don’t be confused, this is not when you just toss in a handful of spinach (callaloo) leaves. The type of vegetable dhals I have been making have vegetables in large quantities to truly make them the kind of dhal indicated – okra, spinach, pumpkin, tomato etc. However, this Vegetable Dhal Curry is somewhat different. The flavour profile is not exactly the same and it is usually referred to as a mixed vegetable dhal curry because a variety of vegetables are used to make the dish.
For this dish, you want to use a quick-cooking legume such as split red lentils, also known as Masoor dhal. Yellow mung dhal is another excellent choice. The next thing is that you want to use a combination of vegetables that will all cook at the same time with the dhal without losing their structure. The popular vegetables used are string beans, cauliflower, carrots, and broccoli. However, I wanted to use vegetables that we use more regularly in our everyday cooking, so I made mine with bora, squash (bottle gourd) and pumpkin. The idea here is to cook the lentils with the vegetables so that the flavours of the spices can infuse the ingredients as they cook together. That is what sets this apart from making dhal and tossing in a vegetable towards the end.
Before I get to the recipe, let me say this – use whatever combination of vegetables you have, prefer, and are available in season. However, keep in mind that you want them to cook at the same time with the lentils/dhal.
Mixed Vegetable Dhal Curry
INGREDIENTS
1½ cups red lentils, rinsed and soaked for at least 1 hour
· 4 – 5 tablespoons oil
· 1 heaped cup chopped onions
· 2 heaped tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
· Salt to taste
· ¼ teaspoons ground turmeric
· 1¼ teaspoons chilli powder
· 2 teaspoons garam masala (or 3 teaspoons curry powder)
· 1 cup chopped tomatoes
· Bora – 2 cups cut into 2-inch length
· Pumpkin – 3 cups cut into 2-inch chunks
· Squash – 3 cups cut into 2-inch pieces
· 5 cups hot water
· Vegetable oil or ghee
· 1¼ teaspoons brown or black mustard seeds
· 1¼ teaspoons cumin seeds (jeera)
· 4 – 5 large cloves garlic, sliced thinly
· Chopped cilantro/coriander for garnish (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Add oil to a large, deep frying pan or pot and heat over medium heat. When hot, add onions, ginger-garlic paste and salt to taste, stir to mix, reduce heat to low and cook until onions are soft, and the pan is fragrant.
2. Raise heat to medium and add in turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala or curry powder. Mix well with onion mixture, reduce heat to low and cook for 5 – 6 minutes or until the pan is again fragrant and the spices cooked.
3. Raise heat to medium and add in tomatoes, stir well to mix until heated through then reduce heat to low and cook until the tomatoes are soft, pulpy, and can be mashed easily with the back of a spoon.
4. Return heat to medium high and add in drained lentils and vegetables along with salt to taste. Toss to mix and cook for 4 – 5 minutes then add hot water, stir to mix, cover, and bring to a boil. Let cook on high heat for 5 minutes then reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until lentils are pulpy and vegetables cooked through. The mixture should be thick and soup-like, not watery or runny. If it is, raise heat to medium and let liquid reduce to the recommended consistency.
5. Heat oil in a small frying pan or large metal ladle, when hot, add mustard seeds. As soon as they start to pop, add cumin, cook for 30 seconds then add garlic and cook until the garlic starts to gently brown at the edges. Carefully pour the tadka/chunkay (spiced hot oil) over the vegetable dhal curry and stir well to mix. Let cook for 2 minutes, then turn off heat. Top with cilantro if using. Let the dish rest for 10 minutes before serving.
6. Stir the dish before serving.
NOTES
· Ginger-garlic paste is an equal amount of fresh ginger and garlic pureed with a little water to make a thick paste.
· If you do not have mustard seeds, use 2 teaspoons cumin/jeera
· If you do not have chilli powder, use hot pepper to taste
Enjoy!
Cynthia
