Mango daal over rice.
This is such a warming dish that's great for fending off those late fall/early winter chills. You know, that time of year where your body isn't quite used to the cold weather yet, but you've finally gotten used to wearing sweaters and winter jackets. Caution: this recipe is for internal use only.
I became interested in cooking Indian food when I took a Food and Culture class as an elective in college and my group picked India as our country of interest. There are so many different cuisines within this largely-populated country, as many curries and seasoning blends as there are families in India, and so many spices and ingredients utilized that it was (and still is) endlessly fascinating to me. Since that time, I generally have most spices needed to prepare an Indian dish in my spice drawer at all times. And the great thing is that many Indian dishes are plant-based and pack a lot of flavor.
Display of color: garlic, red lentils, red pepper, mango, turmeric, and ginger.
Ingredients:
2 cups red lentils (rinsed thoroughly and drained)
1-2 T coconut oil
1 large onion (diced)
4 cloves garlic
1 T fresh ginger (approximately)
1 T fresh turmeric (approximately; or powdered if you absolutely have no way of getting a hold of fresh)
1 t ground cumin
1 T ground coriander
salt (to taste)
mild to spicy red pepper (depending on your heat preference)
1 large or 2 small mangos (peeled and diced)
sprigs fresh cilantro
2 cups rice (any type; I used basmati this time), rinsed thoroughly and cooked
Rinse and drain lentils and add to a pot with about 4 cups water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes, adding more water if needed for desired consistency. Salt to taste. Note: red lentils don't keep their shape, at least for me, so I've stopped trying to come up with a way to keep them whole during the cooking process. In this recipe, they will cook down to a sort of thick sauce, perfect for spooning over rice.
Meanwhile, heat the coconut oil in a large pan then add onion and cook until softened. Add ground cumin and coriander at any time. Prep garlic, ginger, and turmeric then finely mince them altogether on a cutting board. Add to onion mixture and cook for 4-5 minutes. Finely chop red pepper (or if you have no access to fresh peppers, use dried chiles or cayenne powder) and add to mixture, cooking for about a minute. Stir in the lentils and combine thoroughly, then add diced mango. Taste for salt content; the right amount of salt will make the spices pop and give the dish amazing flavor.
Prepare rice at any time. I have been cooking my rice like pasta lately. Boil about 3 times as much water as your desired (uncooked) rice amount, add salt, then add rinsed rice and cook uncovered for 10-30 minutes (depending on which type of rice you're using). Brown rice takes 30 minutes, and white basmati rice takes 10-15 minutes. Drain using a strainer then put it back in the pan, covering to lightly steam until ready to use.
Spoon lentil/onion/spice mixture over rice and top with fresh cilantro.
Basmati rice and mango daal.