My mum’s no-tempering-needed dal, this one packs a load of flavour into yellow moong lentils in the guise of fresh ginger, garlic, tomato and onion, and the sprinkling of garam masala, chilli powder or flakes and fresh coriander at the end. Yellow moong is really easy to cook and doesn’t need pre-soaking, oryou can use red lentils as a substitute.
Called Saag Wali Dal, this recipe uses yellow moong lentils, and is a boon for finishing up half used bags and portions of kale, spinach and spring greens. Look out for fresh or frozen fenugreek, which works a treat here. I love a dash of ghee or butter in dal normally, but you can leave it out in this one.
Another gem from my mum, this light, fresh and fruity dal is infused with the citrusy flavour of oranges. On warmer days, it’s great with some steamed white basmati rice and a mixed veg salad.
More a substantial veggie side, than a dal, per se, this hearty bowl of lentils nestled in spinach, spiked with dark warming spices, tomato and onion is addictive. The two lentils use here – pigeon pea and split Bengal gram – do benefit from soaking for at least an hour before cooking to speed things up.
A Dhaba, or North Indian roadside restaurant, special, this thick, luscious dal is very moreish. You can cook up spinach, cauliflower, peas, carrots and any other vegetables you have lying around in the tomato paste. If you buy a tin of brown lentils, the tempering is probably the best one to mash its contents into.
From the state of Orissa in the East of India, this can be best described as tadka dal meets stew, with the added one pot meal goodness of vegetables cooked in it and then the whole lot smothered with whole and freshly ground spices. Dalma puts a very popular Bengali spice mix to excellent use: Panch Phoron. Literally meaning “five whole spices”, it is a collective of cumin, brown mustard, fenugreek, nigella and fennel seeds.
One of my favourite winter dals, this warming protein packed wonder is great with thick flatbreads like naan. Whole moong is yellow moong with its husk (skin) on. It needs pre-soaking before cooking, so do factor that into your prep time.
