Serves 4
3/4 cup yellow lentils (toor dal), washed
3 large handfuls spinach, chopped
2 tablespoons sunflower oil, divided
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
3 dried red chiles
1/4 cup freshly grated coconut
1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate, diluted in 1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Salt, to taste
1 medium onion, sliced
1. Put the lentils and 11/2 cups of hot water into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are mushy, about 35 minutes.
2. In the meantime, place the spinach in a pot along with a little hot water and heat it for a couple of minutes. Add it to the lentils.
3. In a separate pan, heat half the oil and fry the coriander seeds until they turn dark, then add the chiles and coconut. Reduce the heat and stir for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat, let it cool slightly, then tip it into a blender along with the tamarind and a few tablespoons of water and blend until you get a fine paste.
4. Add this to the lentils, along with the turmeric and the salt.
5. Heat the remaining oil in a small saucepan and fry the onions until golden, then add them to the lentils. Reheat thoroughly and serve hot with rice.
Monisha Bharadwaj, “India’s Vegetarian Cooking”
