Green Urad Dal

Just pretend that I'd had the patience to cook it longer, and those lentils were broken down a bit more. The leftovers were delicious.

The perpetual mission: Take healthy things and make them even healthier. The inspiration: a craving for urad dal, and massive quantities of kale and spinach in the garden. The result: somewhere between urad dal and saag. If this is an actual defined dish in India with a name of its own, someone let me know. Until then, "green urad dal" it is.

I used the food processor to get the vegetables really small, so it would all meld into one mushy mix of deliciousness. I love the way the spinach and kale practically melt into the lentils. 

Mmm, melting vegetables.

The Recipe:

1.5 cups urad dal

1 onion, minced

1 tomato, chopped finely (or pureed in the food processor)

1 potato, chopped finely

1 bunch kale and/or spinach, finely chopped (food processor recommended)

2 tb fresh ginger, grated

1 tb olive oil

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp turmeric

1 bay leaf

salt, to taste

• Rinse urad dal. Put in put with enough water to cover by 2 inches, bring to boil, and simmer 45 minutes or until softened. Drain and set aside.
• Over medium-high heat, saute onion, potato, and ginger in olive oil until onions are soft and translucent.
• Add cumin, fennel seeds, chili powder, cayenne pepper, turmeric bay leaf, and a pinch of salt. Stir 1 minute.
• Add tomato and kale/spinach, the cooked urad dal, and 1 cup of water. Reduce to low heat, stir, and simmer 30 minutes. 
• Season with more salt as needed.
• Serve over rice with yogurt and Indian pickle.

The Verdict:

Overall grade: A

Overall reason: So. Healthy. And the fennel gives it great flavor.

Time to prepare: 15 minutes of work, interspersed over 75 minutes of cooking time.

Husband quote: ::sniffing sounds and a wiggling nose, like a rabbit, when he walked in the door::