My last meal on Earth
Indian Dahl. One day on my old job we were goofing around coming up with various versions of the “last supper” pretending we were in prison sentenced for an execution. What would you have as your last meal on Earth? (Must have been a slow day in the markets!) Things like roast chicken and pork ribs seemed to be at the top of the list. And here I was shouting: “Rice and lentil dahl! Rice and lentil dahl!” A colleague of mine turned to me and said: “Honey, if you are in prison chances are you WILL get rice and lentils”. If it’s as good as what I am about to share it’s worth the prison!
The recipe is a blend of a recipe I got from a chef at a charming off-the-beaten-track hotel in Goa called Nilaya and another one from an Ayurvedic cookbook.
I make sure to soak lentils overnight or, at least, for 4-6 hours. Which by the way makes them more Peat-friendly by removing some of the anti-nutrients and reducing potential gut irritation and pro-inflammatory reaction. If I did not have time to soak the lentils I would simply boil them for 10 minutes, rinse completely and continue to cook in fresh water.
My contribution to the recipe is adding shredded carrots. If you have seen any of my recipes you would know that I can not walk past a vegetable without skipping a heart beat! And I always tend to increase nutritional density of anything I cook by adding veg. Somehow carrots really work with red lentils. The colour, the texture, the energy. According to Dr. Ray Peat, cooked carrots are not ideal for someone with slow metabolism as the beneficial anti-microbial fibers get destroyed but the caroteens (especially released during cooking or juicing) can block the action of Vitamin A which tends to be inadequate in a thyroid-challenged person . You are welcome to skip them if you are in that camp. Of course, it is a sweet vegetable and needs something acidic to balance it out. The original recipe calls for tomatoes already and if you are adding carrots you definitely don’t want to skip them. Sometimes I also add a squeeze of fresh lemon at the end.
Ayurvedic cuisine does not include onions or garlic as too strong and unsettling for our peace of mind. Their answer to the depth of flavour that onion and garlic bring is asafoetida (or hing). It comes in a crystallised form or powder and smells like death. It smells like death until it’s cooked that is. And then some magic happens and you are left with beautiful complex flavour. Not to mention hing is derived from fennel and helps with digestion and fluid retention.
I know the weather is turning and the last few days have felt like Spring but it is still February. It’s cold and lots of my friends seem to be taking turns getting a flu, me included. Dahl is ideal with all that turmeric, chilli, and Nigella seeds (“a remedy for all diseases except death” according to Islamic prophet Mohammed!).
I hope you love it as much as I do!
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Serves 4 to 6
1 cup red lentils (or yellow moong dal if you had time to visit one of those lovely ethnic markets)
3 cups water
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek
1/8 teaspoon red chilli flakes
1 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
1 tablespoon coconut oil, ghee or butter
1/2 teaspoon dried curry powder or dried curry leaves
2-3 tomatoes, skinned removed, roughly chopped
1 large or 2 small carrots, peeled and shredded
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon Nigella seeds, toasted
Fresh lemon
Place the lentils in a pan with the water, turmeric, chilli flakes, asafoetida, and curry leaves (or powder). Simmer for 15-20 minutes until lentils are tender.
Meanwhile, warm up the coconut oil (ghee/butter) in a skillet over low medium heat. Add mustard, cumin and fenugreek seeds. Cook until they “pop”.
Add shredded carrot to the seeds and sauté for 5 minutes or so. Add tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes.
Add the mixture to the lentils, season with salt, add more water if needed and cook for a few more minutes to let flavours merge.
Serve with toasted Nigella seeds and a squeeze of fresh lemon if using. Enjoy!
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