Green Lentil Dahl An Exotic Dinner Experience

     John and I both love Indian food and I find that this dish incorporates all of the wonderful exotic flavors we crave. It is incredibly easy to prepare and it is a very satisfying dish to eat. It can provide you with leftovers for lunch but John and I usually have seconds. It’s filling, flavorful and I would definitely call it comfort food.

 1 cup green lentils rinsed well $.50

 (I love lentils & I think they are largely under utilized in the home kitchen)

2 1/2 Cups water  
(If I need to add more during cooking I do)

1 Small onion  $.50

1-2 Carrots $.25

1 tsp Garam Masala

¾ - 1 tsp ground Turmeric

¾ tsp- 1 ground Cumin

Cook onion in 1 Tbs oil $.05 till tender 

 Add garlic and cook a minute more

Add vegetables, water,spices and lentils last.Bring to a boil and then simmer till soft adding water if necessary as you go.

(I use cumin frequently its very versatile. I highly recommend checking it out!)

S& P to taste (I use cayenne pepper which is potent so add slowly)

Eventually the water absorbs and the lentils become tender (about 1 hour for mine.) Then I spoon it into a bowl and usually hit the stove for seconds.

      This is one of those recipes you can adjust to fit your families tastes. Experiment with a variety of ingredients. I used basil in this dish and as a garnish. I usually add chicken to this dish but,we had a lot of meat dishes over the long weekend and decided to go veggie tonight. It is a great way to use leftovers.

Total $ 1.50   Yep about  $1.50 

TIP OF THE DAY: Don’t shy away from spices with unfamiliar names. We all tend to stick with our comfort zone when choosing herbs and spices. We generally order our spices from a favorite place of ours The Spice House in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Their web site has wonderful descriptions of all kinds of amazing flavors to try. Many stores also have bulk bins where you can try small amounts of an unknown spice and see if you like it or not for pennies.