Powerhouse Dal

Hellooo, dal face! Years ago this dish was my first foray into Indian cooking, and it's still my favorite Indian recipe. I just love this stuff! It makes me feel like a fancy cook without having to work too hard.

Garlic, ginger and turmeric are like the holy trinity of anti-inflammatory foods, and this recipe has got all three. The curry spices also aid in digestion and help prevent overeating, something worth striving for even if you're not trying to lose weight. Then there are the onions, which fight cancer, and the tomatoes, which deliver extra lycopene after cooking. There's just so much going on in this dish nutritionally, it makes my head spin. In a happy way! Though it's hard to aim a fork at a spinning head.

My whole plate today had only eight ingredients, including red quinoa and cool cucumber slices. I sometimes enjoy this dal with a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream, some unsweetened dried coconut, or cilantro leaves. Below is the basic recipe.

6-Ingredient Powerhouse Dal
Total Kitchen Time: 25 minutes. Serves 4.

1 cup uncooked red lentils
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 cup chopped tomato
2 Tbls. butter or unrefined coconut oil.
1-2 tsp. grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, grated or pressed

Free Spice Blend
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander
dash cayenne

Rinse and drain lentils and set to simmer in covered saucepan with twice the water.

Meanwhile, fry onions, garlic and ginger in butter until soft, about five minutes.

Add spices and fry few more minutes.

Add tomatoes and fry five more minutes until soft.

When lentils have cooked into a coarse mash, combine with vegetables and spices, stir and serve with salt to taste!