Cooking by Pound

Dal and Raisins

1 cup Masoor or Toor Dal (red or yellow split peas)
1 cup raisins
1-2 chopped garlic cloves
1-2 tsp grated ginger (or us dry powdered ginger)
1-2 tbs ghee or butter (use half oil if you want)
1/2 tsp turmeric
           red chili to taste
1-2 tbs prepared masala or:
         1/2 tsp cumin
         1/2 tsp cinnamon
         1/2 tsp black mustard seed
         1 tsp coriander

Wash dal. Soak dal in water 2-3 hours then boil gently, covered, in 3 cups water for 30 minutes or so. (It also works to simply cook for a couple of hours) Watch the dal for the first few minuts of boil. A foam will form and it can boil over easy. Skim the foam off the surface with a large spoon and the dal will cook easier. Cook to consistency you like, add more water if needed. This is good from soupy to thick. Add raisins and turmeric during the last 10-20 minutes of cooking, frozen veggies during the last 1 minute. You can add nuts, other dried fruits, veggies like peas or beans, whatever you want.

In small pan melt ghee/butter/oil and add spice mix and garlic, then fry a few seconds to release oils from spices, the mustard seeds should pop a little bit. Let this cool some and add to cooked dal. Be careful adding hot oil to dal.

Cook a few more minutes, longer if you want it thicker. Add some water if you think it is getting too thick.

Eat with bread, rice, yogurt. Can be the main dish or a side.

Leftovers reheat nicely or you can use them as a base for the next curry like dinner. Add some sauteed onion, fresh broccoli and a can of tomatoes. Try frying some meat/tofu/paneer/seitan add a little of the masala during the last few moments of frying or add some soy sauce, then add to veggi mix at last moment without stirring much or at all.