eclaire (what’s in a) name?

after a fabulous weekend celebrating with our friends and former roommates as they married each other, i completely lost my voice. as i sat in my house voiceless, the first northern california storm of the fall raged outside, and all i wanted to eat was some comfort food. something hearty, filling, easy to make, and above all, delicious.

i immediately thought of this recipe for dal, which we made last week and thoroughly enjoyed. while i’ve eaten dal many times at indian and sri lankan restaurants, i’ve barely noticed its flavor, as it is often very mild and subtly compliments the other dishes with added nourishment. this variation is quite a bit different, however, as it begins with onions and red pepper flakes, and packs tons of flavor into each bite. we served this flavorful dish with basmati rice and salad to bring both veggies and a non-spicy element into the meal. whether you serve this dish with rice and salad, or flatbread, or couscous, or eat it all on its own, i’m sure you’ll enjoy it throughout the fall and winter!

lentil dal

adapted from vegetarian times, october 2009
yields 8 servings

• 2T canola oil
• 2t ground cumin
• 1½t red pepper flakes
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1t salt
• 1½c yellow lentils (might be called moong dal at your grocery store), sorted and rinsed
• 2c vegetable broth
• 2c water
• 1t turmeric
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1. heat oil in large pan over medium heat
2. add cumin and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute
3. add onion, garlic, and salt, and saute 3-5 minutes, or until translucent
4. add lentils, vegetable broth, water, and turmeric to pan and bring to a simmer
5. reduce the heat to low, cover, and allow to simmer for 25 minutes, or until lentils are tender and most of the water is absorbed, stirring frequently
6. serve with 2c basmati rice (this will make enough to go with the 8 servings of this dish), or salad, or flatbread, or couscous, and enjoy!