Carrot and toasted cumin lentil dahl
A quick dahl is brilliant on busy weeknights, so here I’m showing you how to take it in a few different flavour directions by using different spices from the back of your store cupboard, along with whichever vegetables you have to hand. You’ll notice I ask you to toast your whole dried spices for a minute or two before stirring into the onion base; you’ll get way more intensity that way.
While the dahl is simmering, you can make the Garlic Salted Yoghurt and/or the Frying Pan Flatbreads. If the breads feel like a step too far, try charring some slices of sourdough over an open flame for a lovely wood-oven flavour.
If I’m making this dahl feast for friends coming round, I’ll often make the lentils the day before then just reheat with a few splashes of water while the flatbreads are cooking. The yoghurt is an easy one to delegate too!
See more recipes from Tin Can Magic.
A recipe from Tin Can Magic by Jessica Elliott Dennison (Hardie Grant).
Ingredients
Ingredients
For frying pan flatbreads
For garlic salted yoghurt
Method
Step 1
First, heat a wide non-stick pan on high. Add the cumin seeds then dry-fry for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Transfer to a pestle and mortar or cutting board, then roughly crush.
Step 2
Next, add the oil to the pan along with the onion and garlic. Reduce the heat to low, then fry for 16–18 minutes until soft. Add the crushed cumin seeds, ground cumin, chilli flakes, turmeric and coriander, then stir for 2–3 minutes until fragrant. Pour in the lentils, including the tin water, coconut milk and salt.
Step 3
Using a Microplane zester or fine side of a box grater, grate in the ginger; discard the tough root. Coarsely grate the carrots, then add to the lentils along with the lemon zest. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, then taste for seasoning; you may want to add more salt.
Step 4
While the dahl is cooking, make the flatbreads. First, stir the flour, baking powder, salt and yoghurt together in a large mixing bowl until combined. Dust a few handfuls of flour onto your worktop, then knead the dough for 1–2 minutes until smooth.
Step 5
Preheat a wide frying pan (skillet) over a high heat until smoking then, using a rolling pin or rounded bottle, roll the dough into four rough flatbreads, around 18 cm (7 in) in diameter. Drizzle a few tablespoons of oil into the hot pan (take care as it will be incredibly hot), then lay a flatbread in the pan and cook for 2 minutes without interfering. Carefully using tongs, flip the flatbreads and fry for a further 2 minutes, or until charred at the edges and puffing up in the middle. Repeat until all the dough is cooked.
Step 6
You may need to reduce the heat to medium once you’ve done a flatbread or two.
Step 7
To make the garlic salted yoghurt, stir together all the ingredients until smooth.
Step 8
To assemble, spoon the lentils onto two plates. Pick over the fresh herbs, then cut the zested lemon into two and place a wedge on each plate. Serve with the flatbreads and a spoon of Garlic Salted Yoghurt, if you like.
