Thursday 2 February 2012

Lentils With Coconut Milk


Back home we always had some kind of dal . But here I make them once in a while, but have to admit Rice and Dal is my favourite comfort food.
Just serve them with me a little bit of pickel and I am a happy girl.

Dal (also spelled Dahl or Daal, or Dhal) is a preparation of pulses (dried lentils, peas or beans) which have been stripped of their outer hulls and split. It also refers to the thick stew prepared from these, an important part of Indian, Nepali, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, and Bangladesi cuisine.

It is regularly eaten with rice and vegetables in southern India, and with both rice and roti (wheat-based flat bread) throughout northern India and Pakistan.

Dal is a ready source of proteins for a balanced diet containing little or no meat. Sri Lankan cooking of dal resembles that of southern Indian dishes.

In South India, dal is often used to make sambar, a spicy soup of red lentils and vegetables cooked with tamarind, asafoetida and some vegetables. It is eaten with rice and rice dishes.

In West India, dals are used to make curries to be eaten with rice. Dals are also used to make fermented preparations such as idli, dosa, in south and coastal India. In East India, rice is also the main accompaniment. In Sri Lanka, dal is most often consumed in a curry made with coconut mlk.
Dal preparations can be eaten with rice, as well as Indian breads in North India.

Thankyou Wiki for all the information :-)

This recipe is from the Cooking book called The Kerala Kitchen I have tried few recipes from the book and each dish as come out so good untill now.
This is the Malayali Version of the lentil dish prepared all over the India.
In the book it is written this dish is better made with split pigeon peas, but can also made with other lentils.
I used Toor dal as I think that cook much faster.
Also if you reheat the dal just make sure you don't let the lentils boil.
The recipe below is the exact recipe from teh book, but I dod make some change when I made and those changes I have written in another color.

1 1/2 cup dried split pigeon peas,pre soaked in water for 2 hours ( as I mentioned earlier I used Toor dal)
3 cups water
1 cup thin coconut milk ( Used tinned ones)
1/2 tsp sliced fresh ginger ( I used more)
3 green chillies slit ( used double)
1/2 tsp turmeric ( I used 1 tsp)
1/2 tsp roasted cummin powder ( I used 1 tsp and didn't roast)
( I also added 1 tsp chillie powder which the recipe didn't ask for)
1/2 cup thinck coconut milk
Salt to taste
2 tables spoon oil
1/2 tsp mustard seed ( used double)
1/4 cup sliced shallots ( used a bit more)
3 cloves garlic slices
8 curry leaves
2 dry red chillies torn in half ( used double)
I also used 1 tsp cummin seeds which the recip didn't ask

In a large pot, ccok the soakes peas with the water, thin coconut milk,ginger,green chillies and turmeric for 15 to 20 minutes. ( The lentils should be soft and musshy) When the lentils are cooked i just mush them with a wooden rounded spoon.
Add salt and thick coconut milk and remove from the heat.

Heat the oil in a small skillet and add the mustard seeds, when the pop add the cumin seeds and then add the shallots and garlic and fry for few minuted untill they are lightly browned.
Add the curry leaves and red chillies and fry for few seconds.
Pour into the cooked dal and serve hot with rice, that is how I prefer to eat this dish.

46 comments:

Gloria Baker said...

lentils are my fravorite comfort food and my soon too!!!(lol) also we are in summer I always makelentils time on time. I will try your recipe sounds delicious:)

Gloria Baker said...

Finla for this plate is Ok said Lentils dahl or you say only dahl?

Ria Mathew said...

Ugran Parippu curry! Chorum, neyyum, pappadavum ee parippu curryum ondekil...oh! YUM!

hotpotcooking said...

Looks inviting . I love the bowl too :)

Unknown said...

Hi Happy. Thanks for visiting me :)
I am okay and the children are doing alright. Samantha is growing, she's 18 months old now. My life is busier than ever, but I am managing although haven't got time for myself with homeschooling and all farm work. Anyway, thank you for thinking of me.

Love always,
ab

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

What a beautiful dish, I enjoy lentils a lot.

Cham said...

Dhal+Ghee+pickle -that is comfy zone food :) The coconut milk in this dhal give such rich look!
I love the bowl with carving details,is it from ur town?

Home Cooked Oriya Food said...

yummy daal... never had such a preparation with coconut milk...

Anupama said...

Rice and Daal are my firm favourite too. In fact I crave that combo every few days, Your recipe is definitely going to be tried in my kitchen Thanks

Angie's Recipes said...

This looks simply delicious! Love the presentation.

Poornima Nair said...

Got to try this version of parippu with coconut milk, looks so tempting!

My Kitchen Antics said...

you know what, i have that book with me and 2 recipes i tried from that was a major flop. i mean somehow the quantities are way way too much :(
I shall make this dal and see how it turns out. Thanks for all those inputs you gave. and again, the pics are absolutely pretty

Jaya M said...

I am also Dal and rice girl Finla..and this looks so heart warming ..hugs and smiles

Gayathri Kumar said...

Dhal looks so inviting...

Priya Suresh said...

Dal looks simply comforting and makes me hungry..

test it comm said...

This soup looks good and sounds nice and tasty!

Finla said...

Gloria we say it Dal / Parippu in malaylam.

Nisha I have made you know the cashewnut fry and a kerala kadala curry both of which came ou very good and i have geust tommorw so going to try a chemeen dish from the book too. I never do the recipe as they say as you see in thi Dal recipe I change according to my taste like this dal i have mostly doubled the quantities other wise i think it might have been bland taste.

Anonymous said...

This looks so perfect, thanks for sharing!

Unknown said...

It sounds and looks really yummy!

Finla said...

Cham I boought those bowls some 20 yrs ago from a Kashmiri handicraft shop in Kochin, i normally use it for serving chips, nuts etc...when i have guest but then i thought why not use for my blog too :-)

Cilantro said...

Rice & Dhal my comfort food too. I liked the serving dish too.

Pam said...

It looks and sounds wonderful. Great presentation.

Achu's Amma's Kitchen said...

yummy dal recipe..i love ur pot..

Dewi said...

My husband love this kind of food, lentil especially. I think I'll like this too because of the coconut milk. Looks yummy!

Bong Mom said...

I have never cooked dal with cocnut milk but we do it with coconut pieces. Your pic is gorgeous

Bong Mom said...

I have never cooked dal with coconut milk but we do it with coconut pieces. Your pic is gorgeous

Sumi said...

Intersting recipe Finla, Never combined Dhal with Coconut milk

Soundspicy said...

Looks perfect..Got to try this with coconut milk..

Cakelaw said...

This sounds delicious!

Moushumi said...

I think toor daal(or Arhar daal as it is called in UP) is referred to as pigeon pea split in English. My gran used to make a thin toor dal with dried green mango(amchur) and sliced white radish, tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves. was one of the tastiest things I ever had...

Namitha said...

Awesome ! This is completely different from what I make at home. Got to try your version sometimes F :-)

Maria♥ said...

Finla, this looks and sounds delicious, perfect comfort food for this cold weather!

Maria
x

lissie said...

rice and this delicous dal...true comfort food indeed!

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

A delicious combination! Really droolworthy. I am a sucker for lentils, coconut milki and spices.

Cheers,

Rosa

Rajee Mani said...

Dal is such everyday food and this recipe looks yummy. Lovely bowls as well.

Mandira said...

Looks absolutely fabulous!

Unknown said...

oh this looks tasty..got to try your version :)

lubnakarim06 said...

I call it as a creamy affair...looks yummy....love the way you presented...

Rinku Naveen said...

Loved your version of dal curry. Never tried it with coconut milk. Comfort food anytime.

Raks said...

Sounds so so delicious and loved the presentation a lot! tempting me a lot! The bowl is so cute :)

Jenn @leftoverqueen said...

I love lentils and coconut milk! this sounds like a delicious combination!

Cakelaw said...

This is a glorious, hearty looking dish. Have a great weekend!

Lena Jayadev said...

this looks delicious Finlaa... great combo with hot rice / chappathis :)

Sarah said...

i love tht book too! The dal looks yummy!

Rosita Vargas said...

Una gran delicia sabrosa y cremosa muy bonito e irresistible,abrazos.

great-secret-of-life said...

so yummy and tasty