Here’s the menu from my family’s vegetarian dinner last night: dal, raita (cucumber-yogurt salad…I used my super easy, no-fail homemade yogurt recipe from this blog), sauteed okra with garlic and chilies, Indian rice (I’ll share that recipe when I find a good one…this yummy one had whole cloves, cardamom pods, cinannom sticks, and onions in it), curried vegetables (I picked up from a food stall next to my kids’s school) and freshly-baked garlic naan.
Indian cuisine is one of my favorites, and lucky me, I’m going to take a few Indian cooking classes starting this weekend. I look forward to learning about different types of Indian food, and how Malaysian-Indian dishes differ from other types of Indian food. I’ve sampled some wonderful food since arriving in Malaysia, but I’m always look for ideas on where to eat. If anyone in Malaysia is reading this, please send along your favorite eating spots in Kuala Lumpur.
This dal recipe, given to me by an Indian friend, comes from Eating for Pregnancy: The Essential Nutrition Guide and Cookbook for Today’s Mothers-to-Be. It calls for red lentils, but I used yellow. I plan to try other lentils in the coming weeks, and will post my results. Malaysian food is big on fried shallots, and I must admit, they do have a wonderfully sweet oniony flavor (sometimes I eat them out of the jar, not good for the breath).
Kshama Vyas’a Traditional Indian Dal
1-1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 tablsepoons minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teapoon garam masala or curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon tumeric
1-1/2 cups diced vine-ripened tomatoes (from about 3 large tomatoes)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional)
- Combine the lentils and 4 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer strongly for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. (It should be the consisitency of a very thick pea soup.) Cover and set aside.
- Heat the canola oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the onions and cook until golden, about 7 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, chili, garam masala or curry powder, cumin, tumeric, and saute, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Remove fom heat and stir this onion-spice mixuture into the reserved lentils.
- Adjust seanoning, garnish with the cilantro, if using, and serve. The dal will kepp refrigerated for 5 days, and it can be frozen for up to 1 month.
Approximate Nutritional Information: Serving size: 1-1/4 cups dal: Calories: 221 cals; Protein: 14 g; Carbohydrates: 32 g; Fat: 5 g; Fiber: 15 g; Sodium: 11 mg; Vitamin C: 17 mg; Folic Acid: 218 mcg; Iron: 5 mg; Diabetic Exchange: Bread/Starch 2, Meat (Lean) 1
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