DHAL

The word dhal means dried legumes, which includes yellow and green split peas, red, brown or green lentils, and all of the dried beans, mung, soya, lima, kidney, aduki, haricot etc.

All legumes are high in protein and, as such, are recommended for frequent use in vegetarian dishes. Dhal is an essential part of the ashram diet, being served every day.

Although the usual dhal made in the ashram uses yellow split peas, any other dried lentils, beans or peas will make excellent soup. The most common variations are with brown, green or red lentils.

It is often recommended to soak legumes for a period of time from _ hour to overnight, especially with the harder ones, e.g. soya beans or chick peas. It’s not always necessary with split peas or lentils, just as long as you rinse them well, removing any frothy or milky liquid.

A pressure cooker is often very effective in cooking legumes quickly, but this is a matter of preference. There are some people who prefer to cook the dhal more slowly and at a lower heat so that they are less gassy to eat.

Dhal should not be too thick, just a smooth, soup texture.

Plain Dhal serves 4-5 people

1 cup split peas OR red lentils
4-6 cups water (or as needed for thicker or thinner soup)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Soak peas if you have time. Rinse them thoroughly and drain. Add water, turmeric and seasoning. Bring to boil, then simmer and cook slowly on a low heat until soft. This may take up to an hour. You may remove from the heat and the peas will retain their shape, or if you prefer, they can be completely dissolved with a whisk into a smooth, textured soup.

Spicy Dhal

1 cup split peas
4-6 cups water
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 dried chilli
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1 teaspoon crushed garlic

Method

Soak peas, rinse well and drain. Add water, bay leaves, turmeric and salt. Bring to boil, then simmer with lid on, until cooked. Set aside. Dry roast cumin, coriander, mustard seeds and chilli, then finely grind them with mortar and pestle. Place oil in griddle over heat, fry ginger and garlic until transparent. Add the spice masala and fry until the oil is taken up. Place contents of griddle into hot dhal and blend spices. Quickly replace lid and allow to stand 20 minutes before serving.

Coconut Dhal

1 cup split peas OR red lentils
4-6 cups water
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon black cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds
3 curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 cup desiccated coconut OR coconut cream
1 teaspoon chopped chives

Method

Boil split peas until cooked, then set aside. Fry the cumin and mustard seeds in oil until they pop. Then add the curry leaves and lastly the coriander. Fry for a further minute, then add to the hot dhal. Blend in the coconut and chives. Leave for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Spicy Tomato Dhal

1 cup Red Split Lentils
2 curry leaves or bay leaves
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 dried chilli (or to taste)
1 tsp salt
1tsp finely chopped ginger
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1 or 2 tomatoes
1 tbsp oil or ghee

Method

• Wash dhal thoroughly – rinsing well and drain
• Cover with water and add leaves and tumeric
• Bring to boil and lightly simmer until the lentils have softened and lost their shape, adding water as required
• In the meantime dry roast the cumin, coriander mustard seeds and chilli until the mustard seeds pop & the other seeds begin to colour
• Crush and finely grind in a mortar and pestle
• Prepare tomatoes by removing green core with a knife and making a cross in the bottom.
• Plunge into boiling water for about a minute or until skin begins to peel.
• Remove skin and chop
• Whilst dhal is cooking, fry the ground spices in oil or ghee, add the tomatoes and cook until tomatoes break down.
• Add to cooked dhal with salt and pepper to taste. Add water if required. Allow to stand for a short time before serving.

Kicheree

Kicheree is a mixture of rice and dhal. This basic recipe can be extended by adding a mixture of vegetables. It then becomes a full meal.

1 cup split peas
1 teaspoon turmeric
salt to taste
water as required
2 cups rice
1 cup chopped mixed vegetables (optional)
_ cup ghee

Method

Wash split peas thoroughly. Boil them with turmeric and salt in 3 cups of water, then simmer until the peas begin to soften. (Peas can be soaked beforehand to shorten cooking time.) For a very smooth kicheree, mash the peas at this stage. Add rice and up to 3 more cups of water, cooking slowly, stirring well and adding water as it is absorbed by the rice. When the rice is cooked through (no hard centre), reduce heat and fold the ghee through the mixture, blending well. Serve with chapattis or panbread. If vegetables are to be included they should be added shortly after adding the rice; first the harder vegetables like potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, then progressively softer vegetables in relation to the time they take to cook.
For a low fuss version of kicheree, pre-cook the ingredients, blend and serve. A spicy dhal is a tasty alternative to plain dhal.