Vegetarian Dinners That Don’t Suck Part Two: Indian Feast

by Susie Meserve | May 31, 2019 | Motherhood, Recipes

I love me some Indian food.

While the Indian food we white people make at home isn’t quite as spectacular as what we get from Vik’s or Udupi Palace in Berkeley, nonetheless we make a respectable Indian meal in these parts. The foundation? Dal. It’s delicious, it’s easy, it’s cheap, and even the kids will eat it, especially if you allow them to tailor their own with condiments. This dal recipe doubles beautifully, which makes it a great candidate to freeze for another meal.

Indian food is so vegetarian-friendly! Here’s an easy recipe for dal, which is a vital part of a kid-friendly, vegetarian Indian feast.

DAL
Very slightly adapted from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant

1 1/2 cups of red lentils (you can choose a different kind if you like, but these are readily available and cheap, and they cook quickly)**
4 cups of water
? teaspoon of turmeric
Salt to taste
? teaspoon cumin seeds
2 T ghee, vegetable oil, or plain old butter
1 cup chopped onions
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (you know about freezing your ginger, right, for long-term keeping? Just grate it with a microplane for this recipe and others)
1 teaspoon garam masala
Fresh lemon juice to taste
Spinach or other greens, or tomatoes, or a can of coconut milk
Chopped cilantro, to serve

**My mom just reported that the mobile version made “1 point 5” look like 15. One and a half cups, people!**

Rinse your lentils and add them to a pot with the water, turmeric, and about ? teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, quickly reduce the heat (lentils love to foam all over your stove), and simmer, stirring often, for about 20 minutes until soft.

Meanwhile, melt your butter or oil (I wonder whether coconut oil would be good in this?likely), add the cumin seeds, and stir for 15 seconds or so until they?re fragrant. Add the onions and cook until they are soft and beginning to brown, 10-15 minutes. When the lentils are soft and the onions are done, stir the onions and all the deliciousness from the frying pan into the lentils along with the garam masala and the greens or tomatoes. Cook until the greens are wilted, salt to taste (I find I need a generous pinch, and that the lentils go from meh to amazing with the right seasoning), then brighten the pot with lemon juice to taste. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Notes: If you want to add some coconut milk, add it just at the end and lightly warm it so it doesn?t curdle. Probably skip the lemon juice. I always add greens to this. My kids like these served with basmati or jasmine rice, with yogurt on the table. My husband adds all kinds of spicy pickles we get at Vik?s. We also buy papadums at Vik?s, and on a good night, fry them up to go with. They’re greasy, salty, and perfect with some mango chutney.

If you want to make it a feast, try this recipe for Saag Paneer with tofu, but food process your spinach to make it incredibly creamy.

And message me for my amazing chicken tikka masala recipe (which isn’t authentically Indian, or, duh, vegetarian, but goes beautifully with all of this for a weekend feast)

Want an even easier red lentil soup recipe with a more middle Eastern flavor? Try this delicious Ottolenghi recipe for Curried Red Lentil, Tomato, and Coconut Soup.?

p.s. You might also like:

Vegetarian Dinners That Don’t Suck (Part One)

What the Fork is For Dinner?