Red lentils and slightly crisp broccoli come together in this comforting, Indian Broccoli Dal stew.
What is Indian Dal?
What is Indian Dal?If you’re familiar with Indian food, you’ve probably come across Dal, or at least heard of it.
That was the case for us.
We had heard of Dal, but didn’t really WHAT it was.
Until today.
In Indian cuisine, ‘dal’ is used to refer to a category of dried legumes including split beans, peas, and lentils. But, it is also used to refer to a spicy dish made with curry, onions and tomatoes.
Broccoli Dal with Lentils
The dish that inspired us to make this Dal was from Enriching Your Kid. She calls for ‘toor dal’ as the type of beans. We had to turn to Google to find out what type of legume that was, and according to Wikipedia, toor dal is a yellow pigeon pea. Now, I don’t think I’ve ever seen pigeon peas at our grocery stores, but I will be keeping a lookout from now on.
With a lack of pigeon peas, we decided to stick in a similar color pallet and use red lentils. (Which do tend to take on a yellowish hue when cooked.)
Instead of mixing the veggies into the lentil mixture for one big bowl of stew, like the original recipe suggests, we barely sautéed the broccoli so that it would stay crisp.
I love a good combination of textures, and this dish certainly gives a great combo with the soft lentils and crisp broccoli.
Red lentils and slightly crisp broccoli come together in this comforting, Indian Broccoli Dal stew.
- 1 c red lentils
- 2 c water
- 1 green chili pepper seeded and chopped
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 small tomatoes, diced
- 3 c broccoli, chopped
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- Combine lentils, water, chopped chili, turmeric, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-15 minutes until lentils are tender and water has been absorbed.
- Heat oil in a large, non-stick saute pan. Add onions and garlic and saute over medium-high heat, 2-3 minutes, until onions begin to soften. Add tomatoes, broccoli, cumin, and salt. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 3-5 minutes, until broccoli is vibrant and tomatoes are soft.
- Serve broccoli mixture over the lentils with rice or flat bread.
luly1234 says
April 30, 2014 at 8:48 amThis sounds so interesting! I love the flavors of India food, looking forward to trying this.
Couscous & Consciousness says
April 30, 2014 at 5:10 amI love dal – it’s one of my favourite comfort food dishes and something I often turn to when I want something quick, simple and soothing for dinner. With the addition of the broccoli I’d actually be able to get someone else around here to eat it too.
Sue
Karen @ Karen's Kitchen Stories says
April 29, 2014 at 11:26 pmBeautiful! Looks so delicious. Great choice!
Fantastical Sharing (@FantasticalSR) says
April 29, 2014 at 8:20 amAnything with broccoli is game in my mind 🙂 Great pick for reveal day!
Melissa says
April 28, 2014 at 9:17 pmI love Indian food. This recipe sounds so delicious and comforting! Great pick this month 🙂
Asiya @ Chocolate and Chillies says
April 28, 2014 at 4:44 pmDaal is always a hit with us…I’ve never seen it made with broccoli before! I had no idea toor daal were yellow pigeon peas..I always wondered what pigeon peas were and they have been sitting in my cupboard this whole time! This dish looks wonderful! Great SRC pick!
hapatite says
April 28, 2014 at 4:27 pmI’ll definitely try this out since I have some lentils at home I was wondering on how to use up!
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel says
April 28, 2014 at 3:32 pmYum! I loooove lentils! This sounds really yummy!
shockinglydelicious says
April 28, 2014 at 11:55 amGreat for a Meatless Monday, too!
Rebekah @ Making Miracles says
April 28, 2014 at 10:33 amThat looks wonderful and so unique – I have never been adventurous enough to cook Indian food at home, though I would love to. This looks like something I might just be brave enough to give a try. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!!
Kate says
April 28, 2014 at 10:06 amWonderful! I enjoy dal . Great choice. Visiting from Group B.
sallybr says
April 28, 2014 at 9:49 amI love dal, but for some reason never made it from scratch, I always order in Indian restaurants… shame on me!
HOpe you are having a great Reveal Monday!
Shirley says
April 28, 2014 at 9:15 amPerfectly done! Glad you enjoyed the combination. Love the way your broccoli looks!