Carole Food.

This is by no means an authentic black dal recipe, but if you’re looking for a very easy recipe with minimal ingredients, and one that is reminiscent of black dal, then this is for you! Black dal typically uses urad dal sabut (whole black lentil), but here I’ve used precooked puy lentils to speed up the cooking time. Also, black dal normally uses a large amount of cream, but to get the creamy texture I’ve pureed some of the lentils, so what you end up with is an easy, nutritious and ‘creamy’ dish! 

Why you’ll love this dish

• Quick - this is really quick and ready in 15 minutes. Also, if you’re just feeding 1 or 2 people, then this dish will also make leftovers, so you’ve got two meals in one!
• Nutritious - puy lentils are very nutritious since they’re full of fibre and complex carbohydrates. They’ve also got a good amount of plant based protein too, so not only are they delicious, they're also very good for you too!

What ingredients do you need for this dish (includes possible substitutions)? 

Salted butter: I like to use salted butter here to give the dish an extra level of seasoning, but of course unsalted butter (or oil!) is fine too. 

Garlic: Lots of chopped garlic is essential in the flavour of this dish.

Ginger: a little grated ginger goes a long way here! 

Tomato paste, chilli powder, garam masala: all provide the base of flavour to the dish, so can’t really be substituted. 

Puy lentils: puy lentils have an earthy peppery flavour that hold their shape well compared to other lentils and the precooked ones make this dish super speedy.

And of course, if you fancy it, this would be great with some extra veg stirred through (e.g. spinach).

What to serve this with? 

This is great served with buttery bread - any type will do! Toast, naan, flat bread… all delicious! 

Instructions 

Fry garlic and ginger

In a large frying pan over a low-medium heat, add butter. Once melted, add garlic and ginger. Cook until golden, this will take about 2 minutes. Stir regularly because garlic has a tendency to burn!

Add the tomato paste and spices

Add the tomato paste and spices. Cook for 2 minutes and stir often.

Add puy lentils and water 

Add the puy lentils, water and sugar if using. Bring to a simmer for a few minutes. Blend about 1/3rd of the puy lentils and stir it together. Top with optional yoghurt and coriander, and that’s it!

FAQ 

What’s the best way to store this dish? 

Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Then reheat either in the microwave, or on the hob. 

Can this be frozen?

Yes absolutely! Just place in an airtight contained and reheat as above.