Skip to main content

Mango / Kale Dal

In retrospect I should have put eyes and a mouth on this oblong pile of dal.

For someone who grew up thinking I hated All Things Lentil, I've become quite the fan of dal in adulthood. In fact, I haven't met a dal that I didn't like. This one is the sweetest that I've made (thanks for the mango), which is a nice change of pace.

Speaking of the mango, I must spend a moment raving about one of my favorite kitchen gadgets. I usually adhere to Alton Brown's rule against single-purpose kitchen tools, but my mango slicer has more than earned a spot in my kitchen drawer. I used to be like the "before" shots in infomercials, trying pathetically to cut mango effectively away from the pit. The mango splitter easily glides down and separates the pit from two fleshy halves. It does leave a tiny bit of mango stuck to the ends of the pit, but I certainly don't mind snacking on that part. Overall it's saved me a lot of grief. If you're a mango lover, I recommend you get one.

You may notice that this mango isn't quite ripe. This recipe works with ripe or unripe mangos.

One more thing you should really get before embarking on this recipe is Indian pickle. Note that this is not a traditional pickle. It's more like salty, spicy oil, with some bits of some fruit marinating in it. It is a condiment to be eaten sparingly with a bite of food. If you've ever had a plate of Indian food that started to mush together and feel boring after a while, this is what you were missing. It is the secret ingredient to liven up absolutely any Indian dish, and it is also spectacular on grilled cheese sandwiches. 

There are lots of varieties. Lime and mango are my favorites.


I used this recipe as my starting point and added the kale. It would also be great with spinach.

The Recipe:
1 c urad dal (or other lentils)
4 c water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tb canola oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tb fresh ginger, grated
1 thai chili pepper, minced (optional: remove seeds to reduce heat)
2 mangoes, chopped
2 c kale or spinach, chopped
1/2 c cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp chili powder
Rice, indian pickle and plain yogurt for serving
  • Rinse lentils in a colander
  • Simmer lentils in a large pot with the turmeric and 4 cups of water for 15-20 minutes
  • Meanwhile, in a pan over medium-high heat, saute onion in canola oil for about 1 minute
  • Add the cumin, coriander, and chili powder to the onion and cook 1 minute
  • Add the salt, garlic, ginger, and chili pepper to the onion and cook until onions are soft
  • Add the onion mixture to the lentils, and stir in the mangoes and kale
  • Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until lentils are soft
  • Stir in cilantro
  • Serve over rice with indian pickle and plain yogurt


The Verdict:
Overall grade: B+
Overall reason: I prefer less sweet dal, but the recipe is good
Time to prepare: 1 hour
Husband quote: 
(unsolicited, while eating) 
"My quote on your blog for this one should be 'MANGO MANGO MANGO MANGO MANGO!'"
me: "Why?"
"Because I like mango!"

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kitchen renovation!

BEFORE: AFTER: Still to come: a beautiful new induction range and some wood shelving on the left side, above the backsplash. And maybe the shelving unit on the wall facing the cabinets should be green, but we're going to live with a while before making that decision.
2 comments
Read more

Red lentil dal

Cucumber salad is key. This dal is perfect. Most of us took seconds, and I'm really excited to eat the last portion that's sitting in the fridge right now. The accompanying salad is really great for adding texture, crunch, and acidity to the meal. I wouldn't skip it. I got it from  Tea for Turmeric  and prepared it pretty much as written, but doubled and with none of the optional ingredients. This recipe doesn't mention any seasoning/dressing on the salad, but adding lemon and salt to it really brightened things up. The Recipe: (from Tea for Turmeric) 2 c red lentils splash of avocado oil 2 tsp cumin seeds 2 small onions, finely chopped 1 inch ginger, grated 4 small tomatoes, chopped 2 thai chilies, minced 2 tsp cumin powder 2 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp cayenne 1 tsp turmeric 2+ tsp kosher salt 2 tsp lemon juice 1/2 c cilantro, chopped For serving: basmati rice and plain yogurt Salad ingredients: 1/2 english cucumber, sliced 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered 1/4 onion, slic...
Post a Comment
Read more

Vietnamese Curry Stir-Fry

  When I get the recipe just right, I'll go to the effort of adding fried shallots on top. I'm back to my on-and-off mission of trying to make a stir-fry as delicious as the shrimp I used to get at  Pho Grand  in St. Louis during college. It was called "cari tom" but it definitely wasn't a coconut milk type of curry, and they ALSO have a separate listing on their menu for "cari tom dac biet" which includes "coconut milk sauce" in their description. So I'm pretty sure it was just a stir-fry that had curry flavors in it? I got myself a big container of Vietnamese curry powder and I'm going to keep experimenting. This is the closest I've come so far. Changes for the future: - More oil and sugar, restaurant style - A blend of fish sauce and soy sauce, instead of just soy sauce - Fried shallots on top The Recipe (adapted from  Veggie Anh ): 3 tb fresh lemongrass, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 Thai chili, minced 1 pinch salt 2 tb avoc...
Post a Comment
Read more