Crazy Delicious Indian Red Lentil Dal and Parathas

I love Indian food like crazy. Anyone who has ever eaten anywhere near me most likely knows this to be true. And, the lovely thing is, I actually have choices to make when I go to restaurants where Indian food is served.

Many of you vegetarians out there (and I am sure ALL of the vegans out there) have experienced the moment while dining out with friends, when you realize that there is essentially one thing on the menu that you can eat. And it is not even particularly appetizing. Your food choice has already been made for you, and by someone who has no idea that vegetarian food can actually taste good. Sad.

BUT, there is hope guys. If you have never been to an Indian restaurant, and you even "kind-of" like spicy food, you are in for a treat. Even if you are not a major spice aficionado, chances are your local restaurant will tone down the burn factor for you if you ask. I highly recommend seeking out an Indian restaurant in your area, so that you may experience the joy of getting to pore over a menu for a few extra minutes.

I have tried many times to recreate the amazingness of Indian restaurant food on my own, with varying degrees of success. But, I am very happy to report that the following recipe is not only easy to prepare, it is totally delicious. It actually tastes like something I would order from a restaurant. And it's vegan!! Prepare yourselves for awesome guys.

Keep reading below to find the full recipes for Red Lentil Dal and Homemade Parathas. Thanks all!

Red Lentil Dal (or "Dhal") with homemade Parathas (bread)

from "The 30 Minute Vegan" by Reinfeld/Murray and "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" by Mark Bittman respectively

Start by making the paratha dough:

Parathas

1.5 cups whole wheat flour (I used chapati flour from my favorite Indian food shop)

1.5 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup water

1 tsp salt (give or take)

1/4 cup oil (I used canola, but "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" recommends grapeseed or corn oil, or 1/2 a stick of melted butter if you are not vegan)

Pulse flours and salt in a food processor to mix (about 30 seconds). I am sure you can do this by hand in a bowl, but it will be much more laborious. Turn the processor back on, and add 3/4 cup of water to flour mixture, until it forms a slightly sticky ball. (Mark Bittman recommends adding water a Tbsp at a time if mixture is too dry, flour a Tbsp at a time if the mixture is too sticky.) Wrap the ball of dough in plastic wrap. If you want to use it right away, leave it on the counter for 20 mins. Bittman also notes that you can leave the dough in the fridge for about 24 hours, or in the freezer for a week if you're planning your weekly meals ahead of time. This is one of the many reasons that I love Mark Bittman.

While you wait, start making your Dal. I adapted this recipe slightly from the original, due to my own tastes, and what was available in my house.

Red Lentil Dhal

1Tbsp oil (I used canola)

1 Tbsp cumin seeds (I bought them at an Indian food shop, but they are often available whole, not ground, in the supermarket. Hint: They are often on the international foods aisle if they are not on the spice aisle)

2 tsp mustard seeds (I also purchased these at my Indian food shop, but your supermarket or specialty food store will likely have these as well)

1-2 large cloves of garlic, minced (book recommends 1.5 Tbsp minced garlic)

1-2 tsp ground ginger (book recommends 1.5 Tbsp minced fresh ginger; I = too lazy for this)

2 small to medium sized onions, diced

1/2 to 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes (book recommends 1 seeded/minced jalepeño here, but I didn't have that)

6 cups water or vegetable stock (I used vegetable stock because, why not add more nutrition and rich flavor whenever you can? You're a conscientious eater and you deserve it)

1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed (I got these in bulk at the local Wholefoods, but I would think the supermarket would have them, either next to the dried beans, or in the International foods aisle)

2 tsp curry powder (I like this because you don't have to look for a million spices to fill your cabinet; Though having those other spices can come in handy if you love Indian food)

Sea salt to taste (I am not a salt person, but I added at least a teaspoon to this recipe; add to suit yourself and your audience)

Ground black pepper to taste

Cilantro for garnish (book recommends fresh, minced cilantro, but I am sure some sprinkles of the dried stuff would be fine. Frankly, I forgot to add it at all)

I would recommend chopping and measuring everything before you start cooking. It will make your life easier.

Start heating the oil in a large pot (it must accommodate at least 7-8 cups of volume plus room for stirring). Use a medium high heat. Add the cumin and mustard seeds to the oil and stir them around, coating the seeds in oil. Let cook for a few minutes, stirring consistently to make sure they do not burn. Some popping sounds may occur as the seeds cook. Please careful not to burn them, or to burn yourself by looking too closely at the cooking process. Sometimes these seeds jump as they pop open.

Add your onion, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes (or jalepeño), and cook down a bit, stirring often. I think you are aiming to get the onions translucent, but not caramelized.

Now add your veggie stock or water to the pot. Then add the lentils. This may look like a LOT of fluid for the lentils, but they will absorb most of it as they cook. If you want more of a refried bean consistency to the final product, you could probably leave out a half to a full cup of liquid, but I wouldn't recommend it. Cook the lentils, uncovered, for 20 mins or more, stirring periodically. I cooked them for about 30 mins total, to cook off a little more of the liquid. Add your curry powder and sea salt, cook for 5 mins, and turn off the heat. Add the cilantro right before serving.

And now back to the parathas. Try to prepare these while the lentils are cooking for 20-30 mins. If you like, you can also start cooking rice at this point too (see farther below).

Now that your dough has rested, divide it into 8 or so pieces. The recipe can make 8-12 parathas, but i like mine larger, so 8 was fine for me. I'd recommend covering the pieces you're not using with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap while you're not working on them. They do dry out rather quickly.

Roll each piece of dough into a ball, place on a floured surface, and roll into a 4 inch or larger circle with a rolling pin. Brush the top lightly with your oil of choice or butter (using Earth Balance will keep it vegan). Now roll the circle up "like a cigar" (according to Mr. Bittman). Then coil the cigar into a spiral like you were making a cinnamon bun. Place all of your coils onto a plate. I didn't really have any trouble with them sticking to each other, so go ahead and pack them closely to keep the coils tight.

When you are ready to cook your parathas, take one of your coiled dough pieces and flatten it. Roll it out into a thin pancake, as you did before. Brush a nonstick pan or griddle with oil or butter/margarine, and cook your parathas. About 3-5 mins per side will do it. Before you flip the paratha for the first time, make sure to brush the top with oil or margarine. Once browned on both sides, flip the paratha out onto a plate that has been covered with a napkin or paper toweling. Cook as many breads as you like, or as many as you anticipate eating with this meal. I left some of the coils covered on a plate in the fridge for a few days, and made them anew with my leftover dal every time I wanted fresh bread. It helps if you can let the coils come to room temperature again before flattening them, but it won't ruin them if you are starving like I was and you can't wait. Pre-made parathas reheat in the microwave also, but they taste much better if you make them to order with your meal.

Now, you can eat the dhal (or dal) alone with the bread, or serve with rice as I did here.

Rice: I made basmati rice (also from the Indian food shop) by boiling 2 cups of water (and a Tbsp of oil/butter/vegan margarine) for every cup of rice. I added the rice when the water and oil/butter came to a boil. Then I stirred the mixture, covered the rice, and cooked the rice for 20-25 minutes over low low heat. You can then fluff with a fork and serve.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Please check out the books that the recipes came from too. The links are provided above. Now I am starving and must go eat. Thanks all!

"Three Things I Never Thought I'd Buy," or "Reasons I Might Be Insane"

So, I was doing some thinking today, and I realized that I have purchased a number of items this year which I never thought I would. I mean, I assumed in my younger days that, in the future, I would attempt to lead a relatively healthful lifestyle; that I'd buy fresh fruit and veggies, and that I'd learn how to make fairly wholesome dinners etc, etc...But what on earth could possess me to actually exchange hard-earned post-tax dollars for a small bottle of powdered dried algae. I mean, come on...

1) Spirulina (shown above): I only really found out what this stuff was sometime earlier this year. I had heard the name bounced around in health-food circles, usually in conjunction with someone talking about their latest morning run (yes, I know. The thought of running in the morning exhausts me too guys...) However, I didn't really have any idea what spirulina was. I thought it might be a component of grain or something. Sort of akin to wheat germ (which also has kind of an unappealing "health-nut" connotation). Or, if it wasn't a grain, maybe it would be something like ground up wheat grass. Is your mouth watering for this stuff yet, haha.

What spirulina actually turned out to be was dried microscopic blue-green algae. Mmmm...slime...

So, for a while, I kind of wrote off the little green guys. That is, until I tried a drink called "Green Machine" from a company called Naked Juice. It's similar to Odwalla if you're more familiar with that company. Let me tell you, this stuff does not look palate pleasing at all. But, seriously, after you drink this juice, you feel like a million bucks. So I looked into the ingredients on the bottle, and started reading about Spirulina. It has quite a bit of protein, vitamins, and minerals in it (including iron, which, admittedly, my vegetarian diet often lacks), and did I tell you how I wanted to wrestle a bear after having some? So, I bought some Earth Rise brand powdered, dried, algae in a bottle. And I haven't looked back. I do warn you though, it will make your smoothies a little slimy and green if you put enough in. But really, you and the bear you wrestle probably won't mind. (Well, the bear might...); Do consult your doctor though before adding this to your diet, particularly if you are on other medications, or have health concerns.

2) Large bags of dirt: Yup, I bought these too. And as soon as I did, I heard the voices of generations of my ancestors declaring me a lost cause for having purchased something that is essentially free everywhere. But, this year, I really endeavored to become an accomplished home gardener.

The problem is of course that I was most definitely not born with a green thumb, judging by my accidental assassination of countless houseplants. Nevertheless, I decided to strive for greatness anyway. To the tune of buying WAY too many seed packets at the Ocean State Job Lot, and probably putting myself in danger of writing the sequel to The $64 Tomato. But, I can certainly vouch for the effectiveness of Miracle Grow Moisture Control Potting Mix, that's for sure. Aside from the few little spearmint and catnip seedlings that I left unwatered for one too many days, the Moisture Control Potting Soil actually managed to keep me from being a "green widow" to my tomatoes, lettuce, and innumerable herbs. Yeah, I will tell you that the soil is a little pricey considering that you are buying dirt, but the stuff works wonders. And until I get my backyard composting groove on, the store-bought kind will do just fine.

Note: Sorry, the Miracle Grow mix is not shown above. I ran out, and apparently so did the local hardware store. That's how good it is!

I promise that one of these days, I will post pictures of my first little garden. My little baby seedlings have grown up so fast! And I dote on them like they were children. I may have pictures of them in my wallet by tomorrow...

Speaking of which...

http://seitanismymotor.com/2007/12/03/of-stir-fries-and-strange-vegetables/

3) Oyster plant seeds: I actually bought mail-order seeds for the first time ever this year. I never thought I'd be that serious about gardening in my life. And I had never even heard of the Salsify plant (or the related "Scorzonera Hispanica") before April. It sounds kind of made up doesn't it? The so-called "oyster plant" is essentially is a long fibrous root vegetable (like a carrot or a parsnip) that is white inside and black on the outside. (Fun fact:"Scorza" means "bark" in Italian, and "nera" means "black.") And, supposedly, the flesh of the plant tastes a bit like oysters. Since I'm a vegetarian, and have never eaten an oyster, I was totally intrigued. And, much like me, Salsify is huge in Belgium...(just kidding. I'm pretty sure Belgians are universally unaware of my existence...so far.....)

Sorry guys, I'll get back to the point...

Because food is pretty much the only reason I garden at all, and because I have an unstoppable urge to taste any and all fruit or vegetable forms on planet earth, I actually looked into buying seeds to grow my own oyster plants. I purchased them from CherryGal.com, and they just arrived yesterday! I was super excited. It was a phenomenally dorky moment. But anyway, according to my reading, these root veggies are supposed to stay in the ground until at least the first or second fall frost in order to develop their oystery flavor. So, while I plan to chronicle the Belgian root vegetable exchange program taking place in Rhode Island this summer, it may take me 6 months to know if it was a bad idea....

Anyway, I hope you guys have enjoyed my first substantial blog post here at the Worldly Vegetarian! If any of you have made unexpected and potentially odd purchases this year, please share them here! I look very forward to sharing food, fun, and recipes with you for a long time to come!