Indian Dal

I do love dal. I have been trying to duplicate this seemingly simple lentil dish with nominal success. Here is my latest attempt:

Hendel's Dal

Saute in large soup pot until somewhat carmelized:
3 tbsp olive, canola, or veggie oil
1 large sweet onion, diced small
4 large cloves garlic, minced

Combine in a small bowl:
2-1/2 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp ground red pepper (not chili powder)
1 tsp ground ginger

Add spices to pot along with 4 cups lentils (I used brown). Let cook for less than a minute, stirring concoction (careful, don't want to burn those spices). Gradually add 4 cups veggie broth. Stir and let come to a simmer.

As mixture gets thicker add more liquid - gradually add 4 more cups veggie broth. In a blender slightly puree 2 cans Rotel with juice and add to pot along with 2 peeled potatoes, diced small. You should be stirring frequently to keep it from sticking or burning. Expect it to be thick, soup-like consistency. As it cooks, add another 3-ish cups of veggie broth or water.

This recipe is pretty spicy; you can cut back on the ground red pepper to make it a little less so. My favorite dal is pretty thick, so this time I took about half of the dal and puree'd it in the VitaMix and then added it back to the pot. The last thing to add is kosher salt to taste - be sure to truly taste it to make sure it's the way you like it.

This batch was put into the crock pot for Shabbat enjoyment.  It will be served along with Jasmine rice, na'an bread and a green salad.

Shopping list:
veggie oil
large sweet onion
4 cloves garlic
spices (see above)
4 cups lentils (brown or other)
7 cups veggie broth
2 cans Rotel tomatoes
2 medium potatoes