This is my new favourite daal thanks to Meera Sodha. It’s soothingly creamy, delicately fragrant and oh so simple and quick to make – who knew red lentils and carrots could be so delicious!
I love to spice it up by topping with a small spoon of crispy chilli in oil. You can buy curry leaves and all the spices at the Asian Grocery Hub on Kings Street in Hereford.
Serve with paratha, roti or steamed rice.
SERVES: 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive or rapeseed oil
10 fresh curry leaves
1 stick of lemongrass
2 star anise
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 heaped teaspoon ground coriander
1 heaped teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1.5 teaspoons Kashmiri chilli powder (less if you don’t like any heat)
1.5 tablespoons tomato puree
1.5 teaspoons salt
300g red lentils
2 large carrots, scrubbed and diced to max 1cm cubes – slightly smaller is better
1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
salt and pepper
Method
Warm the oil in a medium sized saucepan, add the curry leaves, lemongrass and star anise and cook until the leaves crackle.
Stir in the onion and cook for 8 minutes, add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Stir in the coriander, cumin, turmeric and chilli powder followed by the tomato puree, lentils and salt and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the carrots and coconut milk, fill the empty can with water twice and add to the pan too. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the carrots and lentils are fully tender.
Stir through a tablespoon of tamarind paste, then taste. Add more tamarind and salt if you feel it needs it.