Simple Lentil Dahl

This dish is curry heaven! It is nutritious, mild, filling and light and you can serve it as a one pot meal. Traditional Dahl would not have any grain in it, but I add quinoa to mine to make it a bit thicker and give it extra texture when you bite. As far as the lentils, you can soak them for 10 minutes or a few hours. If you know you want the lentils to cook quickly, then soak them a few hours and it cuts the cooking time almost by half.

Simple Lentil Dahl

• 2 cups of red lentils (soaked)
• 1 cup of cooked quinoa
• 3 tablespoons of fresh ginger diced
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 large sweet onion (any onion will work but the sweet one gives it extra taste)
• 1/2 cup of coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons of coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil plus extra for cooking onions
• 2 tablespoons of Indian curry (preferably salt-free blend)
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat water in a full kettle until it boils. In a hollow medium pot and over low heat, melt coconut oil with olive oil. Add onions and cook over medium heat until translucent. Add ginger and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and extra olive oil and continue cooking and stirring for 2 more minutes. Turn heat to low and add Indian curry stirring all it all together until a paste forms. Add 5 cups of hot water from kettle and stir. Add lentils and coconut milk and stir everything together. Bring heat to high until water in mixture boils. Cover,lower heat and cook for 25-30 minutes (if lentils soaked for more than 2 hours), or cook 50 minutes if lentils only soaked for 10 minutes. Check lentils every 10 minutes and stir. When lentils are cooked, add cooked quinoa, salt and pepper to taste and mix well together. Garnish with cucumbers or anything like chopped tomatoes or walnuts or almonds. Serves 6.