Inpiration from India
Don’t get me wrong, yum LOVES technology, most of the time. After spending too much time attempting to coax the DSL life, the kitchen started calling me to an Iron Chef: Mother Hubbard’s, Local Edition. Since this was a local ingredient challenge, I had to dig deep for creativity, rustling up some garlic, onions and cilantro from last week’s farm market.
Hmmmm….what basic food could I make that millions of people eat everyday, the grain or legume based staples that are nutritious, easy to cook and inexpensive? Aha! Inspiration struck from the sub-continent country of India. Daal, an easy spiced lentil dish! Before breaking into a sweat thinking that this is either too hard to make , hang in there…the ability to boiling water is the only kitchen skill needed. And it is a great dish for chilly fall weather.
Here’s the how to:
-Cook 1 c. of lentils (red are traditional) by covering with 3c. of water, bringing to a boil, then simmering for 40 minutes. Salt to taste.
-At the same time cook up rice according to package instructions, brown rice is extra nutritious.
- Cut 1bout ¼ cup of onion into a small dice.
- Mince 1 large clove of garlic.
- chop up as much cilantro as you like. This is an optional ingredient.
Now here is where the magic savoriness of daal is created. Melt 2 T. of butter over medium high heat. Add 1t. of cumin (seeds are better, but powder works too), stir until fragrance is released, then add hot pepper seeds (to taste), and ½ t. of turmeric if you have it, onion, garlic, and cilantro. Stir, cooking for a minute or two, then dump the contents into the pan of cooked lentils. Let that spice mixture spend some time infiltrating the lentils and wait for transformation. Some kind of alchemy happens when the herbs hit that hot oil, with delicious results. Serve this with the hot rice and some roasted cauliflower or steamed squash.
Now if only the DSL would wake up, I could post this for you in time for dinner!
