Alright dahl

Aromatic, comforting and packed with plant protein, dahl is a staple lentil dish in Indian homes, but each region has its own recipes and temperings change across the length and breadth of the country

It is always better to soak pulses overnight, or for 8-9 hours. Soaking reduces the phytic acid present in beans and lentils, which causes indigestion.

Gujarati lagan dahl, from the western state of Gujarat in India, is an aromatic dish made with split pigeon peas (toor dal), peanuts and spices. It’s sweet and sour with bit of a kick to it.

Prep time: 15 minutes (plus overnight soaking time)

Cook time: 1 hour

Serves: 4

For the dahl

160g SpinneysFOOD Toor Dal

1L SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

1 tbsp raw peanuts

2 Roma tomatoes

5cm piece fresh ginger

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Chilli Powder

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Turmeric

1 green chilli

1 tbsp jaggery or soft brown sugar

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

1 lemon

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander

For the tempering

3 tbsp ghee

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Black Mustard Seeds

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Cumin Seeds

8 fenugreek seeds

1 SpinneysFOOD Bay Leaf

1 small SpinneysFOOD Cinnamon Stick

1 clove

1 dried red chilli

10 curry leaves

Pinch of asafoetida

1 Wash the lentils until the water runs clear and soak overnight. 2 Place the lentils and 500ml of water in a pot. Place the peanuts in a muslin cloth and tie the ends together to form a small bag. Place in the pot and cover with a lid. Cook for 1 hour or until tender. Remove the peanut bag and set aside. 3 Add the remaining water to the lentils and, using a hand blender, blitz until smooth. Place the pot over a medium heat again. 4 Roughly chop the tomatoes and finely grate the ginger. Add both to the pot along with the chilli powder, turmeric, green chilli, jaggery and salt. Simmer for approx. 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 5 Meanwhile, heat the ghee in a small pan over a medium heat. When hot add the mustard seeds and wait until they start popping. Add in the cumin and fenugreek seeds and leave to sizzle. Add in the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, clove and dried chilli and sauté for 1 minute. Add in the curry leaves and asafoetida. 6 Add the tempering to the dahl and stir well. 7 Serve hot.

To get the smoky flavour in this dish without the coal, add in smoked paprika or liquid smoke to taste.

Dahl makhani is a popular lentil dish from the north-Indian state of Punjab. Made with whole black lentils (urad dahl) and red kidney beans (rajma), it’s a rich dahl made with butter and cream. It’s often finished with a hot coal, which imparts a smoky flavour to the dish.

Prep time: 20 minutes (plus overnight soaking time)

Cook time: 2 hours

Serves: 4

For the dahl

165g black urad dahl

60g SpinneysFOOD Red Kidney Beans

2L SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

1 leek

2 garlic cloves

1 tbsp crushed ginger

2 tbsp ghee

3 tbsp salted butter, divided (use Amul butter if possible)

125ml tomato purée or tinned tomato

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Kashmiri Chilli Powder

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Garam Masala

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

365ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

4 tbsp pouring cream

Piece of charcoal, optional, to add a smoky flavour

For the tempering

5cm piece fresh ginger

3 tbsp ghee

1 tbsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Garam Masala

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Chilli Powder

To serve

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander

1 lemon

1 Rinse the urad dahl and red kidney beans. Soak in 750ml of water overnight. Drain the water and place in a medium-sized pot along with 750ml of water. Place over a medium heat and cook until tender, approx. 1½ hours.

2 Rinse and finely slice the leek. Peel and crush the garlic and ginger. 3 Heat the ghee and butter together over a medium heat. Add the leek to the pan and sauté for 5-10 minutes or until golden. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add in the tomato purée, chilli powder, garam masala and salt, and cook until the oil rises to the surface. Add in the cooked dahl and stir to combine. Add in the remaining 500ml of water and lower the heat. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring now and then. 4 Once simmered, add in the cream and stir well. The dahl is ready to be served at this stage, alternatively there is one last step that is optional. 5 Place a small metal bowl on the surface of the dahl. Heat a piece of charcoal over direct heat or gas flame until red hot. Place the coal inside the bowl and pour melted ghee over the coal. Immediately close the pot with a tight-fitting lid and set aside for 2 minutes to smoke. 6 To make the tempering, finely julienne the ginger. Heat the ghee in a medium-sized frying pan over a medium-high heat. Once melted, add the ginger and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Crush the kasoori methi with your hands into the ghee along with the garam masala and chilli powder. Cook for a further 30 seconds, swirling the pan frequently. 7 Pour the tempering over the dahl and serve topped with roughly torn coriander and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Paruppu kadaiyal is a dahl from the south-Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. It’s made with a few ingredients and serves as a staple in many homes.

Prep time: 10 minutes (plus overnight soaking time)

Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Serves: 4

For the dahl

160g SpinneysFOOD Moong Dal or Toor Dal

1L SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Turmeric

Pinch of asafoetida (hing)

For the tempering

2 green chillies

1 red chilli

1 small red onion

6 tbsp ghee

1½ tsp yellow mustard seeds

10 curry leaves

Pinch of asafoetida

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

To serve

Rotis, pooris or steamed rice

1 Thoroughly rinse the dahl until the water runs clear and soak overnight. 2 Place in a small pot along with 500ml of water, ground turmeric and asafoetida. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a gently simmer keeping the lid on. Cook for approx. 1 hour 15 minutes or until the lentils are soft and mushy. Take off the the heat and set aside for 5 minutes. 3 Once tender, mash the dahl using a potato masher or fork. Add enough water to reach desired consistency. 4 Remove the seeds from the green chillies and finely chop. Finely slice the red onion. 5 In a small pan, melt the ghee and add in the mustard seeds. Add the green chillies, whole red chilli and onion to the pan along with the curry leaves and asafoetida. Sauté until the onions are translucent. Set aside half of this mixture. Add half of the tempering to the cooked dahl along with the salt and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5 minutes before removing from the heat. 6 Spoon the remaining tempering over and serve with fresh rotis.

Choose from a wide variety of pulses in stores.

SpinneysFOOD Toor Dal

SpinneysFOOD Moong Dal

SpinneysFOOD Urad Dal

SpinneysFOOD Red Kidney Beans

SpinneysFOOD Moong Dal (split)