Turn Your Lentils into Dal
Add curry and your choice of vegetables for a customized dish
Dal is the Indian word used to describe both lentils and beans and the family of stewy dishes made from them. Butter, and often lots of it, is the key to the richest dal. (The first time I was in India, I was stunned by the amount of butter people used.) Ghee — clarified butter, which is butter with its milk solids removed, able to withstand high cooking temperatures — is traditional, but whole butter works just fine. Peanut oil and more neutral oils like grapeseed and corn are good alternatives.
I prefer slightly thicker but still soupy dal that you pour over something else — usually rice — and “dry” dal, where the beans remain intact. Thinner dals also make an effective and creamy sauce for simply cooked vegetables like potatoes, eggplants, squashes, carrots, and greens. Add more water or stock, or cream or coconut milk, and they become soup. At room temperature or chilled, they’re a fine dip for crudites. Dals even make surprisingly good sandwich fillings, especially with lettuce or sprouts and tomatoes.
You may want to double this recipe so you have some handy in the fridge or freezer, because it reheats beautifully. Don’t worry if the potatoes crumble a bit on the second go-round; they will only add body to the dish.
