The Experimental Alchemist: Dal: Savory Indian Porridge

Dal is a wonderful, homey side dish. I didn't know what it was until culinary school, but ever since, I have had great respect for it. Dal is a traditional Indian dish that uses either peas, beans, or lentils that have their hulls removed and are split in two (according to wikipedia). It is cooked with ginger, onion, chilies, and a little sugar into a thick, spicy porridge.

My grocery had several different kinds of dal in the Indian section, and I selected one that I thought looked good. They were small, golden, split beans. I later learned (from the packaging) that they were split garbanzo beans. However, if you can't find traditional dal, you can use any type of lentil available. Red lentils would be especially pretty.

So, what do I really like about dal?

1. It is a simple dish that can be made thick or thin depending on how you would like to serve it...as a side dish or a soup.
2. The flavorings are quintessentially Indian: warm, spicy, smoky, with a hint of sweetness.
3. Served as a side dish, it is easily paired with many different kinds of meats and salads.
4. It's great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

Any drawbacks?

1. It takes a long time to cook. This would be the perfect crock pot dish because the beans really do take quite a long time to soften. But I must clarify: there is a difference between a soft lentil, and a very soft, porridge-y lentil. Soft lentils are perfect for salads or soups because they are al dente which means they are soft enough to eat, but will hold up in and not break down in the dish they are served in. Dal, on the other hand, should be very soft, so the beans/peas/lentils must cook a long time. I cooked mine for about 1 hour, but they were still a bit firm for my liking. Though enough of them broke down in the liquid to form a thick, porridge-like consistency, and the taste was still delicious!

Despite these drawbacks, if you have the time (or a crock pot), I can highly recommend this dish. I paired it with Tahini chicken and a simple, green salad.

T.E.A's Dal
makes about 3-4 cups

1 cup Channa Dal (or again, any lentil or split pea you can find)
4 cups water
1 cup onion, small dice
2-3 hot chilis, minced
1 TB mustard seeds
1 TB ginger, fine mince
2 cloves garlic, fine mince
1 cup tomato, large dice
1 tsp brown sugar (or more to taste)
salt to taste
oil for sauteing (I used coconut)

Optional spices:

paprika
smoked paprika
tumeric
garam masala
lime juice
cumin
corriander

Optional toppings:

chopped cilantro
plain yogurt
fresh, chopped tomato
cooked rice

1. In a fine colinder, rinse dal well until the water runs clear. Pour into a medium sauce pan. Add water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until very soft with a porridge -like texture. Salt to taste (adding salt before cooking will lengthen cooking times). *Watch the water content. You might need to add more water throughout the cooking process. Or you can add a lot more water and turn this into a soup! I liked my dal very thick, so I only added a little more water.
2. When dal is done cooking, heat 1-2 TB coconut oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. When it has heated, add onion, chilis, and mustard seeds and a little salt. Saute until onions are soft and slightly browned, about 8 mins.