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

Adzuki Beans with Black Rice

I hope I don't turn any readers away by featuring cilantro in my first photo. My current food obsession is black rice. I was first introduced to it at  Sushi Pure . It's purple when cooked, and I was completely smitten when purple sushi arrived at our table. I mean, purple sushi! It was like my birthday or something. Actually, it might have been my birthday, because I pretty much always have sushi on my birthday, but anyway. It's kind of sweet and has this great chewy texture. When I learned  how healthy it is , my crush evolved to full-out love. Sushi Pure's Spicy Tuna Roll (photo from FoodSpotting.com) In my ongoing research for ingredients that are low in calories but high in nutrition, adzuki (also spelled azuki) beans came up. I learned that these are the sweet red beans used in Japanese desserts, including red bean ice cream, which I've been obsessed with since I was a kid. But since turning them into ice cream probably negates the health benef
2 comments
Read more

Spicy Tomato Jam

Little pot of bubbling goodness seeks lentil patties, sweet potato fries, or pretty much anything else. I recently made  this recipe  from Crumb Blog for lentil patties with tomato jam. The lentil patties were pretty good, but the tomato jam was really something to write home about. It's one of those foods that makes you feel warm, even when it's cold. It has just the right balance of sweetness, acidity, and spice. The mustard seeds are a must (haha, must ard seeds). Their crunch, and the little burst of toasty peppery flavor that follows, are amazing in contrast to the rest of the flavors. The next time you're tempted to put ketchup on something, consider this instead.  I have a little bit of this gold left over in the freezer. I'm thinking I may thin it out with vegetable broth and use it as a sauce for a stir-fry. Stay tuned for the results. The only change I made to this recipe was upping the amount of mustard seeds. I think 1 tsp is the perfect a
1 comment
Read more