Indian food is often a treat, as it’s mainly perceived as being super high in fats/carbs/sodium. So excuse me for being super excited about a really low fat and highly tasty version of cauliflower dal (PS: dal = red lentils). Most supermarkets now adays have many of the spices you’ll need, however if not you may need to make a trip to your local Indian grocer or Little India, if you’re lucky like me. It may seem like a lot of steps involved, but it’s actually quite easy to make, with minimal ingredients.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups masoor dal or red lentils
4 cups water
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp canola oil (or cooking spray)
1 tbsp panch phoran
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ginger paste (or 1 tsp minced ginger)
16 ounces diced tomatoes (or 1 can)
1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1/2 cup water
Directions:
1. Pick over and rinse the lentils and add them to a pot with the water and turmeric.
2. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.
3. Simmer until the dal is tender, about 20 to 35 minutes.
4. When done, add salt and set aside.
5. While the dal is cooking, chop and cook the vegetables - heat a large, deep skillet, and add the canola oil and shake it to spread it around.
6. Add panch phoran and stir.
7. When seeds begin to pop, add the onion, garlic, pepper flakes, and ginger paste (stir and cook until the onion softens, about 2-3 minutes).
8. Add the tomatoes, cauliflower, and water, and stir.
9. Cover and cook until the cauliflower is just tender, about 10 minutes.
11. When the dal and cauliflower are both done, add the dal to the cauliflower mixture and stir well (you might want to take a quick taste to see if the seasoning is sufficient; add more salt if needed).
12. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
13. Serve hot (with or over basmatti rice is best).
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