Sweet Mung Dal

Wish I was part of a family with a long line of Indian cooks, who pass down secret recipes, over the generations, so good, they're being taken to the grave. But, I'm not. My family is very English and the only recipes I get passed down are from Good House Keeping circa 1970.  So, I pretend. Stirring the pot of yet another Indian-influenced concoction. This Mung Dal recipe was born out of a 'throwing-together-of -what's-left-in-the-cupboard', but it worked. It's very simple; just put ingredients in the pot at carefully chosen moments. I had nearly finished half of it before it reached the bowl, from tasting it in the pan. it is delicious.

I'm not certain how it matches up to the most authentic Mung Daal recipe, but the coconut, lemon and sultanas work so well here it makes it into a curry in its own right or alone as a soup type dish. Marinating the onions beforehand in lemon juice softens them and pierces the sweet onion flavour with a zingy lemon kick.

The word Vegetarian comes from an old Indian phrase meaning Lousy Hunter, hence the name of this blog. I'm currently reading the brilliantly Colin Spencer's book: Vegetarianism: A History, which traces the roots of vegetarianism from early human kind and looking at the most prominent modern vegetarian - Pythagorus. Indian culture is thee one that has the longest and biggest leaning to vegetarianism and has a wealth of dishes to draw influence from, so it is always my default setting on a winter evening. If a curry is good enough I don't think it really needs the addition of meat or fish. Try this to be convinced.

Ingredients:

350g Mung Daal (small yellow lentils)

1 Liter of good Vegetable Stock

2 Bay leaves

3 cloves of garlic

1 medium sized white onion

 1 large red slicing tomato such as Jack Hawkins

 1 tbsp on butter

1 lemon

1 tbsp black mustard seeds

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground coriander

Half teaspoon of chilli flakes

3 tbsps of grated coconut (dessicated is fine) 

1 tsp sea salt

100g sultanas

Method:

1.  Cook the lentils in the stock with the bay leaves, in a medium sized pan on a simmering heat.
2. Whilst cooking peel and chop the onion and garlic finely and roughly chop the tomato.Put the onions in a bowl and squeeze over the juice of half the lemon and lemon zest. Leave to marinade in there until the lentils are cooked.
3. The lentils should take about 20 minutes. Once cooked remove from the pan, make sure you scrape the pan clear and return tot he heat, (no need to rinse). Add the butter to the pan over a low heat and melt.
4. Once melted add the onion to the pan and cook for 5 minutes with a little sea salt; to soften.
5. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more. Turn the onions, garlic , and any juices into a bowl and set aside for later.
6. Return the pan to the heat again and add all of the spices; mustard seeds, turmeric, coriander, ginger, chilli flakes, sea salt, and the coconut. Toast these for about 2 minutes over a medium heat until they become aromatic.
7. They will turn colour but make sure they don't burn. Now add the onions and garlic back into the pan, the tomato, give these a few stirs together and add the lentils back in with the bay leaves. Stir these these together and add the sultanas.
8. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a low simmer. Add the remaining half of the lemon; zest and juice. Season to taste and add a few grinds of black pepper.
9. Serve with rice as a curry or alone as a hearty soup dish.