By Last week of February and spring is three weeks away on the calendar and the azaleas outside my apartment have not yet shown any color but I have been checking every morning with the patience that comes from having done this every February for ten years and knowing the timing. They will show when they show.
Crystal and I have settled into something I want to name properly: a relationship. Tentative and surface-level in many ways, not the relationship I have with Gloria or with Tyler or even with DeAnna yet, but a real one, with its own rhythm and its own vocabulary. She calls every few weeks and we talk for forty minutes or so. She tells me about her work at the shelter and I tell her about the daycare. We do not talk much about the past. We are both, I think, more interested in what we can build from where we are than in excavating what has already happened. That might change. For now it is right.
She sent me a photo this week of something she cooked: a proper lentil dal, the red kind, with turmeric and ginger and a tadka of cumin seeds. She said: I found your description of making this in my texts from last year and I followed it. She said: it worked. I said: of course it did. She said: you made it sound like something I could do. I said: it is. She said: I am finding out what I can do. I said: yes. That is exactly the thing to be finding out.
When Crystal told me she’d followed my description from an old text message and it had actually worked, I found myself wanting to write it down properly — not just as something I do by feel, but as something anyone can hold in their hands and follow. This red lentil dal is one of the most forgiving things I know how to make: it is warm and grounding and it does not ask very much of you, which is maybe why it felt right to pass along in the first place. If you are finding out what you can do, this is a good place to start.
Red Lentil Dal with Turmeric, Ginger & Cumin Tadka
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
- 3 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil or ghee, divided
- 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds (for tadka)
- Fresh cilantro, for serving
- Cooked basmati rice or warm flatbread, for serving
Instructions
- Simmer the lentils. Combine the rinsed lentils and water or broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 18—20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are completely soft and beginning to break down. Skim any foam that rises in the first few minutes.
- Build the base. While the lentils cook, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 7—8 minutes until softened and golden at the edges. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes and spices. Stir in the diced tomatoes, turmeric, coriander, and cayenne. Cook for 5—6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down and the mixture is thick and fragrant.
- Combine. Pour the cooked lentils into the skillet with the tomato mixture. Stir well to combine. If the dal seems too thick, add a splash of water and stir. Taste and season generously with salt. Keep warm over low heat.
- Make the tadka. In a small saucepan or skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the whole cumin seeds. They will sizzle and pop within 30—45 seconds and turn a shade darker — that is exactly right. Pour the entire contents of the pan over the dal immediately.
- Serve. Ladle the dal over basmati rice or alongside warm flatbread. Top with fresh cilantro. It reheats beautifully and is often better the next day.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 265 | Protein: 14g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 9g | Sodium: 420mg