Cookbook Challenge 2011: Fortnight 12, Spice
Theme: Spice
Recipe: Spiced red lentils with cucumber yoghurt
From: Ottolenghi’s Plenty
Do you ever have those instances when you have a very firm idea of a dish in your head? You know the ingredients you want, you know what the texture should be like, and you know what it should taste like. It sends you off to find a recipe to try and create it, hoping that it will meet your expectations.
The theme for this fortnight’s Cookbook Challenge is “spice” and I knew immediately that I wanted to make dal. And I *knew* what this dal was going to be like. I could see it, I knew the texture, and I could almost taste it.
I flicked through several cookbooks trying to find a recipe that looked like it would create the dal I wanted. I wanted something packed with flavour and spices, with thick and creamy lentils. If I made something thin and insipid, I knew I was not going to be happy.
Eventually, I came across a recipe for spiced red lentils in Ottolenghi’s Plenty, which basically looked like a dal. I crossed my fingers and started soaking the lentils.
Perhaps if I had cooked more from this cookbook I would have realised… there was no point in worrying. Because it was the best damn dal I’ve EVER made and it was exactly what I saw in my head. So I say to you: MAKE THIS. Yes, it’s a long list of ingredients and it looks complicated. But I assure you – it’s not that hard, and it’s worth it. And since I’m already being all bossy and commanding, I have another demand: don’t be tempted to skip the butter at the end. It looks like a lot (okay, it kind of is a lot) but it makes the dal all buttery and generally awesome.
I was so happy. The lentils were thick and creamy like I wanted, and because I had increased the amount of chilli, there was a bit of a kick along with all the flavours from the spices. I didn’t make the cucumber yoghurt, and personally I don’t think it needs it because the lentils were delicious on their own. I can see myself making this a lot. So I say to you again: MAKE THIS.
Read past Cookbook Challenge posts or see what everyone else made at the Cookbook Challenge forum.
Spiced red lentils with cucumber yoghurt
From Ottolenghi’s Plenty
Serves 2-4
200g split red letils
350ml water
50g bunch of coriander
1 small onion, peeled
40g peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, peeled
3 fresh chillies (more or less to taste)
1 & 1/2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
4 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
10 curry leaves
300g peeled chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek (optional)
Pinch of asafoetida (optional)
70g unsalted butter
1 & 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
For the yoghurt:
150g Greek yoghurt
75g cucumber, finely diced
1 & 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Wash the lentils really well in cold running water, then soak in the 350ml of water. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Give the bunch of coriander a really good wash, then cut halfway up the stalk to separate the leaves from the roots. Chop up the leaves roughly, then set aside. Place the root end into a food processor with the onion, ginger and chilli and pulse to chop everything up. You want it roughly chopped into smallish pieces, but not a paste.
Heat a heavy-based pot on medium heat, and put the mustard seeds inside. When they start to pop, add the onion mixture and the oil. Cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika and curry leaves. Continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the lentils, the soaking water, tomatoes, sugar, fenugreek and asafoetida and salt. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are fully cooked.
Stir in the butter, lime juice and chopped coriander leaves. Taste and season with salt, then serve with the cucumber yoghurt (if desired).
To make the yoghurt, whisk together the yoghurt, cucumber, olive oil and salt.
Iron Chef Shellie
June 19, 2011 @ 10:23 pm
So good to find the exact recipe when you are getting vibes like that!
Looks deeeelicious π
Agnes
July 25, 2011 @ 8:44 pm
I know – it’s such a good feeling to find the perfect recipe. π
Queenotisblue
June 19, 2011 @ 10:31 pm
Yes, I will make this! π
I totally agree with your assessment of his recipes – they seem complicated because of all the ingredients however, they work. And they’re always so damn delicious!
Agnes
July 25, 2011 @ 8:45 pm
YAY! I’m glad someone is going to obey my bossiness π
leaf @ theindolentcook
June 20, 2011 @ 12:55 am
The long list of ingredients does scare me a little – but I do love spice and it does sound really, really delicious!
Agnes
July 25, 2011 @ 8:46 pm
I promise that it’s fantastic and worth amassing the ingredients to make π
Leigh
June 20, 2011 @ 1:07 pm
Love the gorgeous colour!!!
Agnes
July 25, 2011 @ 8:47 pm
Thanks Leigh! π
Hannah
June 20, 2011 @ 2:40 pm
Teehee, I’ve always kinda secretly known that the reason the dal at one particular restaurant in Canberra is so amazing would be a generous helping of butter at the end. And now you’ve just gone and confirmed it for me… ah well. Butter in dal is surely better for my lactardation than cheesecake for dinner. π
P.S. This really does look magnificent. I’m on your side – creamy not soupy/insipid dal all the way!
Agnes
July 25, 2011 @ 8:48 pm
Have you made it yet?? Have you, have you, have you?? π
Kulsum at JourneyKitchen
June 20, 2011 @ 4:31 pm
Love the pictures. I sometimes spread dals of this consistency of a toasted bread and use it as spread
Agnes
July 25, 2011 @ 8:49 pm
Thanks! And that’s a great idea to use it as a spread
Adrian (Food Rehab)
June 20, 2011 @ 5:08 pm
Yes madam- I shall make this on the pronto. Good for the cold as well with all its spiciness.
Agnes
July 25, 2011 @ 8:50 pm
Good work, go forth and make it. π
msihua
June 20, 2011 @ 10:17 pm
So that’s why you want to cook from Ottolenghi! You’ve already mastered one of the dishes!! YUmMmm
Agnes
July 25, 2011 @ 8:52 pm
Noooo I want to cook from Ottolenghi because it’s a good book (and yes maybe, because I’ve mastered one of the dishes…)
Susan
June 22, 2011 @ 12:49 pm
I have made a couple of recipes from that book and they are very tasty indeed. That looks like a great dish too, will have to make that!
Agnes
July 25, 2011 @ 8:53 pm
Woot, another Ottolenghi fan π Hope you try the recipe – it’s awesome!
Hannah@ Bake Five!
June 23, 2011 @ 7:35 pm
Absolutely, absolutely love the colors.
Agnes
July 25, 2011 @ 8:53 pm
Thanks! π
Keely aka The Richest Girl in Bondi
June 24, 2011 @ 4:31 pm
The promise of spicy goodness (not to mention the buttery finish) is drawing me in! I won’t be skipping over the cucumber yoghurt though — I’m a big fan of the contrasting coolness of yoghurt to warm spices. Thanks for sharing!
Agnes
July 25, 2011 @ 9:39 pm
I will have to try it with the yoghurt next time π
Gourmetgetaways
June 24, 2011 @ 4:50 pm
Yum, I love dahl, especially a good flavoursome Dahl.
It is worth going to the trouble of putting all the spices in yourself, and I would have added a little extra chili too π
All your delicious images are making me hungry π
Agnes
July 21, 2011 @ 10:06 pm
I love chilli – add it to almost everything so it was a given that I would need to add more to this dish π
Annette
June 25, 2011 @ 9:15 pm
This does look good! Terry loves dahl so we’ll see if we can get all the ingredients together and make this. Love the colourful photos as well.
Agnes
July 21, 2011 @ 8:47 pm
Hope you’ve managed to make it! It’s delicious π
Eftychia
July 3, 2011 @ 4:13 am
Delicious recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Agnes
July 21, 2011 @ 8:42 pm
Thanks for the visit and comment π
Johanna GGG
July 3, 2011 @ 11:43 pm
this looks absolutely delicious – not sure I can do the butter but I can sure do those spices and I have fresh curry leaves in the fridge – already have bookmarked this
as for dahl, I used to this there was only one way but the more I have looked around at dahl recipes the more I begin to see it as diverse as curries so it is always good to find a great dahl recipe because no all dahls are equal
Agnes
July 21, 2011 @ 8:42 pm
I’m always on the look out for good dal recipes – they’re definitely as diverse as curries π
Kat (Spatula, Spoon and Saturday)
July 19, 2011 @ 11:50 am
I am so getting this book!
Agnes
July 21, 2011 @ 8:39 pm
Yes, you should! It’s a good book π