Yellow Split Lentils with Cauliflower
Lentils have their champions in a household. I am a fan of the yellow split moong lentils especially when pairing them with vegetables. However, my brother and mother tend to prefer the orange/red lentils (masoor dal). This recipe can be prepared with either. If using the orange/red lentils you can skip the step of roasting them.
Makes:4 servings
Preparation Time5 min
Preparation Time - Text5 minutes
Cooking Time25 min
Cooking Time - Text25
Cooking Methodsauteeing
CostInexpensive
Total Timeunder 1 hour
OccasionCasual Dinner Party, Family Get-together
Recipe Coursemain course, side dish
Dietary Considerationegg-free, gluten-free, halal, kosher, peanut free, soy free, tree nut free, vegetarian
Mealdinner, lunch
Taste and Texturesavory, spiced
Type of Dishvegetable
Ingredients
- ½ cup yellow split lentils (moong dal)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cauliflower florets, cut into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 or 2 bay leaves, broken into pieces
Instructions
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Place the lentils in a cooking vessel and dry roast them for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until the lentils smell toasty and fragrant and darken a few shades.
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Put the roasted lentils, 2 cups of water, turmeric, cayenne pepper powder, and salt in a pot and cook for 10 minutes.
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Add the cauliflower and cook till it is soft, about another 5 to 7 minutes. (The lentils should now have a nice soft consistency and the cauliflower should be cooked through.)
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Heat the oil and ghee in a small skillet on medium heat until almost smoking and then add the cumin seeds and bay leaves. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes until the cumin sizzles and darkens along with the bay leaves. The spices should turn fragrant but not be too hot. Pour over the lentils and mix in and enjoy with rice and any other dish of your choice.
Rinku Bhattacharya
