Red Lentils (Mysore Dall) – 2-3 handfuls
1 green chilli split lengthwise and halved
2 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
2cm slice of ginger, lightly smashed
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
1 large purple onion sliced
a few curry leaves
1 dried red chilli cut into small pieces (optional)
chopped coriander leaves
quarter teaspoon mustard seeds
quarter teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon ghee
salt to taste
pinch of turmeric OR 1 teaspoon of sambar powder
1 tablespoon coconut milk/full cream milk/low fat milk

- Wash the lentils, add it into a pot along with 3 cups of water. Also add green chilli, tomato, ginger, garlic, and a tiny pinch of turmeric (this is just for color, dont add too much or it will taste horrid!) or the sambar powder.
Let boil till the lentils are cooked. Red lentils cook quite fast, approx 20-25 mins. It gets soft and mushy. Turn off the heat

- In a seperate frying pan, heat the ghee till it melts. Add the mustard seeds and fry till the mustard seeds dont ‘pop’ anymore. Stand back while doing this. Add in the cumin, onions, curry leaves and dried chilli and stir fry till onions are cooked. Add this fried mixture to the lentils.

- Turn the heat back on and stir the dhall through. Add salt to taste and add the coconut milk, bring to one boil and turn off the stove. sprinkle the chopped coriander and serve.

This tastes great with prata or chappati. Serve it hot with rice and pappads…

Happy cooking. Let me know if you run into some difficulty.

Tim – Will do! When I get back my Z3 ‘cos it takes better super macro shots.

foodcrazee – Its my passion!

Rathi – Owh, so it is vegetable dalcha and not dhal? I see….yes, please share your recipe!

You can copy it here or mail me, please? I promise to cook them and share online.

babe – Once you decide to just forget the pinches, teaspoons and all those stuffs, it gets easier.

boo- Cooking lentils is a new thing to me ‘cos I thot they are hard to soften but actually no.