Daal Bhuna
This is another Latif's restaurant recipe. I've reduced the oil and ghee, which means you have to be careful you don't burn the spices.... but you live a little longer!
(Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 diced onion
2 bay leaves
2 tsp garlic ginger paste
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp curry powder
2 chopped tomatoes
1 cup lentils
green chillis (I use about 2)
chopped coriander
temper
1 tbsp ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 Kashmiri dried chillis
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 diced onion
2 bay leaves
2 tsp garlic ginger paste
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp curry powder
2 chopped tomatoes
1 cup lentils
green chillis (I use about 2)
chopped coriander
temper
1 tbsp ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 Kashmiri dried chillis
4 garlic cloves, sliced
- Heat the oil to medium and brown the onion until golden and caramelising.
- Add the ginger/garlic, bay leaves and salt, and cook until the raw smell goes and it becomes fragrant.
- Lower the heat a little and add the spices (salt, turmeric, chilli, coriander and curry powder) and cook for a couple of minutes to allow them to release their flavours without becoming burned.
- Add the 2 chopped tomatoes and cook (this is the bhuna stage; bhuna = fry) until the oil separates around the edges. Take your time with this.
- Add the rinsed lentils and coat them, allowing them to fry in the masala paste you have so far. Then add 4 cups of hot water, and cook on a medium heat for around 10 minutes until the lentils are beginning to break down.
- Slice some green bird eye chillis lengthways and stir in, to add a bit of heat. Add more if you like a burn and reduce if you want subtlety.
- Heat the ghee in a frying pan and add the cumin seeds.
- Allow to pop, then add the dried kashmiri chilli and sliced garlic and fry on a high heat for a few seconds until the garlic goes golden (do not burn the garlic!). Lift off the heat immediately and pour carefully into the daal, without stirring.
- Put a lid on the pan and allow the dal to absorb the slightly smoky flavours from the hot temper, then after 2 mins, add a good handful of fresh chopped coriander leaf.
- Mix, and dish up.