Daal is Indian comfort food. It’s hard to find an Indian family that doesn’t cook (and love!) daal. It’s also hard not to love digging into a bowl of steaming hot daal after a long day at work or on a cool fall evening. My version of daal is a bit different from the way daal is traditionally cooked. I add a few more Indian spices and flavors that some say might not belong in a pot of daal. However, I think it makes the soup more robust and adds nice depth. Try it out yourself and let me know what you think!

Ingredients (for 3-4 people)

1 cup of red lentils
4 cups of water
A pinch of turmeric powder
6-8 fresh curry leaves
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
2 green chilies, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon dried mango powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
a handful of cilantro, finely chopped
salt to taste

Directions

1.  Submerge the lentils in water and allow them to soak for at least 10 minutes.

2.  Chop the tomato and add to a small pot that can hold 4 cups of water along with the lentils, turmeric powder, curry leaves, and some salt. Bring to a vigorous boil on medium-high heat.

3.  In the meantime, chop the onion, green chilies, and cilantro.

4.  Once the lentils are boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer for at least 10 more minutes.

5.  In a separate, small frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the cumin and mustard seeds. Continue to fry until they start to sputter.

6.  Carefully add the onions, green chilies, ginger-garlic paste, coriander powder, mango powder, and cumin powder. Stir together and fry for about 5 minutes, until the onions are starting to become slightly soft.

7.  Add the onion mixture to the lentils and throw in the cilantro. Add more salt to taste and stir together. Serve steaming hot with Basmati rice on the side.