Simple Recipe with Herbs and Lentils
Herbs Dhal - Basic Recipe using Herbs, Lentils, Onions and Tomatoes
Apr 1, 2009
Indian cooking also offers a lot of healthy recipes which ensures that we get the right amount of proteins, iron and vitamins in vegetarian dishes. Most Indian day to day cooking is also simple and fast to make and involves very little preparation. Given below is a simple recipe for Herbs with Lentils. One can use Amaranthus or Chinese Spinach or Indian Spinach and even methi (fenugreek leaves).
Herbs form the daily diet of the average Indian household and therefore an infinite number of recipes have been developed for the same. Herbs are used to make a variety of dhals, pancakes or side dishes. This is a simple and fast to make recipe with the most basic ingredients and offers a lot of proteins, iron and vitamins.
Preparation time: To chop herbs and vegetables – 10 minutes
Cooking time: To cook lentils – 10 minutes
To make the herbs with lentils – 10 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cooked lentils (pink or brown)
- 1 bunch of herbs – sugar herbs or red herbs
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds or 1 stick of cinnamon
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tomato, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cm piece of ginger, peeled and minced
- A pinch of turmeric powder (optional)
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp of cooking oil
Method:
- Cook the lentils till they are soft but not completely mashed or broken
- Chop the herbs into small pieces and wash thoroughly in a colander in running water.
- Heat the cooking oil in a pan and saute the cumin seeds or cinnamon, till they turn slightly brown
- Add green chillies and onions and saute, till the onions change color, for 2 – 3 minutes
- Add ginger and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, till there’s a fine aroma
- Add the tomato and sauté, till the tomato turns soft
- Add the chopped herbs and cook for 5 minutes till the herbs start turning darker green in colour
- Add half a cup of water and the cooked lentils
- Add salt and turmeric powder
- Mix thoroughly and mash with ladle, till the lentils merge with the herbs.
- Simmer, till the mixture starts boiling
- Take off the heat
- Use a potato masher to mash the mixture till the herbs, tomatoes and onions are thoroughly mashed with the lentils
Serve hot with roti, or a cup of white rice with fried papad or even crispies. By adding another cup of water while cooking, this can also be eaten as a soup with fresh bread.
