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Overview

If you know anything about Indian cuisine, you will understand that a lentil or dhal curry is a staple accompaniment to have with rice. My ancestry lies in Sri Lanka, so I am very much accustomed to dhal curry. The summer before starting university, my parents passed down their dhal curry recipe to my brother and me.

Recently I have modified the recipe to make it worthy as a standalone main curry, rather than a mere side dish. My dinner nowadays consists of red rice with dhal curry. For dessert, I have a couple of mandarins and figs. Anyway, just as my parents have passed down their dhal curry recipe to me, I too will share my modified dhal curry recipe with you.

Ingredients

• Two cups of red lentils
• One finely chopped red onion
• One cucumber, sliced into small pieces
• A couple of red chillies, finely sliced
• 150 grams of cashew nuts
• One tablespoon of turmeric powder
• Two teaspoons of curry powder
• Two teaspoons of dried onion powder
• Curry / Coriander leaves
• Water
• Avocado Oil (cooking oil of choice)
• Sprinkle of Himalayan Pink Salt and Black Pepper for seasoning

Recipe

First off, I want to say that the quantities for the ingredients listed above can be scaled accordingly. Also, the amount of each powder that you include in the curry is highly flexible. I do not even bother to measure anymore and toss whatever amount of each into my curry these days. The amount of water you add is dependent on how dry you prefer your curry.

1. Preheat a large saucepan and add the cashew nuts. Ideally, you want to heat the cashews until they are slightly browned and not black! Remove once cooked (by step 4).
2. Finely chop the onion and chillies. Also, cut the cucumber into small bite-sized pieces.
3. Wash the red lentils in cold water.
4. Add cooking oil to the saucepan and then add all of the chopped vegetables and lentils. Add the curry leaves, all of the powders, and the cashew nuts.
5. Add enough water so that at the bare minimum, the contents are submerged completely. Close the lid and apply a low to medium heat for roughly 20 minutes, giving the occasional stir.
6. The curry is ready once it has a majestically golden yellow appearance! Add a pinch of salt and pepper, and you are good to go!

Conclusion

The best thing I like about this curry is that it is quick and easy to prepare. You do not even need coconut milk (or any milk) for this curry. It tastes great as is!

Due to the highly versatile nature of the curry, you can’t go wrong with regards to the amount of each ingredient you include. Lentils and cashews are packed with protein, so this is a great curry, particularly for vegetarians who need a protein boost! The cucumber serves as a great neutraliser to balance out the heat of the curry as well. Give it a try and let me know how you get on!

Mission complete – Overlord Drakow signing out.