Dhal

[achookwoman]

On Sunday I attended a cooking class at the new Indian curry house in Kyneton , Vic...... Dhaba.. I also have recently bought the TMX Indian cooking book. So tonight we are having visitors for an Indian meal!!!! Very brave visitors. The following recipes are adaptions from these sources as well as Charmaine Solomon's Chapatis. DH does not like very hot food so these are all a bit on the light side with the chilli.

250g lentils of own choice, (can look like soup mix ) rinsed well and soaked over night.
3cm. of fresh ginger
2 bay leaves
i cinnamon stick or 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 large onion, cut in 1/4
2 cloves of garlic
2 teasp. tumeric
1 teasp. ground cumin
1/2 teasp. garum marsala
1/2 teasp. chilli flakes
1 1/2 teasp. salt
1 Tablespoon of chopped coriander leaves for garnish
2 tomatoes, chopped
Drop onion, garlic, and ginger on to blades into bowl of TMX,speed 7. Scrape down sides.
Add 2 Tablespoon oil,6mins,100, speed 2. Scrape down.
Add spices, 5 mins,90, speed 2, cap in.
Add Tomatoes,2 mins 90, speed 1 REVERSE.
Cap out, add lentils and 500g of water.
Cook for 90 mins,90, reverse soft speed. Remove any foam.
Zap speed 7, 15 to 20 seconds. or more depending on the texture required.

[cookie1]

You have been busy. I'm sure your guests enjoyed every mouthful. I'd like to do the same but think I'll wait until the cooler weather. You and MJ were very brave having yours in the summer.

[boonderoostudio]

On Sunday I attended a cooking class at the new Indian curry house in Kyneton , Vic...... Dhaba..

I didn't know that they had classes What was it like and how was the food? I'll have to watch out for more classes, particularly if everything was interesting.

[Thermomixer]

Thanks Chookie, need to get up the Calder to check it out 

[achookwoman]

Boonderoostudio,   the class was excellent.   About 20 attended,  $100 a head,  but very good value.   All the spices and their uses was explained.    Several dishes were made and we ate a sample of these at the end of the day.  They were most generous, and fed us all afternoon,  also with cold yogurt drinks.  If you like Indian food ,I would strongly recommend  a class.
Cookie ,  it has been quite cool here,  and for several days we have been under heavy cloud.  So curry was OK.

[boonderoostudio]

Boonderoostudio,   the class was excellent. If you like Indian food ,I would strongly recommend  a class.

Thank you, Chookie. Will speak to DD and DSIL and see if we can go next time

[natslim]

Achookwoman,

Could you let me know what consistency I should look for with your dhal recipe? The other day I made the amritsari dhal in the Fst and Easy Indian Cooking Book and was surprised by how thin and soupy it was. (I had never made dahl before, so I don't know why I thought it would be thicker.) I thought you might be able to eat it with a fork, but with my batch, you definitely needed a spoon!

Thanks,
Tanya

[achookwoman]

My recipe is quite thick.    When it was made at the cooking demo we ate it with Indian bread.  You could put less liquid in the one you made, if you like the flavor.   I made mine as part of a meal,  so ate it with a fork.   Have you got any Indian shops near where you live?    If they have a takeaway you could look to see how thick it is.   On my blog I have a photo of chicken korma,   and on the right hand side of he dish is Dhal,  it is quite thick.

[Thermomixer]

Natslim, I think red lentils may work better than Puy Lentils. Absorb more moisture - wonder if that may have contributed?