| STYLE | FOOD
38 Vineet Bhatia
pays tribute to the simple – and spiritual – bowl of dal
“If the world were going to end in ten minutes, I would eat a simple bowl of daal. It’s my favourite food in the world. I think dal is one of the biggest comfort foods in India – it’s so satisfying. I eat it with a piece of flatbread or just some boiled rice. Fantastic. It’s also very nutritious and filling. The brilliance of dal is that it has
a very neutral flavour on its own so you can add all sorts of spices to it, or vegetables or meat. I like to use red and yellow lentils together. Both have different textures and flavours so they blend well. My mother used to make dal with
just yellow lentils, and we’d tell her, ‘No, add the red lentils too!’ I never watched my mother cook this dish because I wasn’t interested in food as a kid and never went into the kitchen. But I remember that the smell would enthral me. I find that eating dal is relaxing,
and takes me back to memories of basic eating at home. I have it for lunch sometimes because it gives me energy during the day. Other times, after I finish work at night, I have a bowl of dal and a piece of bread to wrap up the day. It makes me happy. Dal soothes the soul. You could even say it was spiritual.”
Tip:
SERVES FOUR
Prep and cook time: 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS: 200g lentils 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp chopped garlic 1 tsp chopped ginger 1 chopped green chilli 2 tsp chopped tomatoes 2 tsp chopped red onion 1 tbsp sunflower oil dash of lemon juice
Daal
Stir in the chopped coriander at the very end. If you add it too soon, it will turn a dirty green colour.
Method: 1. Wash the lentils in warm water so all the dirt comes off. Skim off the water. Refresh the lentils in cold water and soak for five to six minutes. Put them in a pot and add one teaspoon of turmeric powder. Cover with water and bring to the boil
until they are soſt and broken. 2. In a separate pan heat one tablespoon of oil. Add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Tey should pop and crackle. Add the garlic, onion, ginger, green chilli, and tomato, plus a pinch of salt
to taste. 3. Cook until just soſt. Ten blend this mix into the daal and stir. Taste it to see if the dal needs more salt. I add a dash of lemon juice here and then stir in some chopped coriander. I also like to sprinkle more fresh coriander on top of the dal before bringing the dish to the table.
emirates man
apr/may 2015
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