Title: Bengali red lentil dal
 Categories: Vegetable
      Yield: 4 Servings
 
  1 1/2 c  Red lentils
  3 1/2 c  Water
      6    Serrano chilies (or 3
           -jalepeno?); either whole or
           -sliced in quarters
    1/4 ts Turmeric; or more to taste
  1 1/2 ts Salt
      4 tb Ghee; butter or vegetable
           -oil
      1 c  Minced onions
      1 c  Chopped tomatoes
      1 tb Grated fresh ginger
      2 tb Ghee or vegetable oil
      1 tb Panch phanon mix
      4    Dried small red chilies
      1    -(up to)
      3    Cloves garlic
 
   Key spice: Panch Phanon Mix, also known as Five Spice (do not
  substitute Chinese Five Spice!) Equal proportions of whole cumin,
  fenugreek, anise, mustard, "Indian black onion" seeds (kalunji). You
  will need to go to an Indian Store to get the last ingredient. It is
  not related to the onion.
  
   There are three basic steps to this recipe: cooking the lentils in
  water, making a tomato/onion/ginger mush, and making a spiced oil.
  
  1. Rinse lentils well, add water, serrano chilies, turmeric and salt.
  Bring carefully to boil and cook over low to medium heat, partially
  covered, for 25 minutes. Cover and cook another 10 minutes. Adjust
  salt.
  
  2. While lentils are cooking, cook onions in a frying pan in the oil
  until they are golden brown (approximately 10 minutes), stirring
  constantly.  Add tomatoes and ginger and continue cooking until the
  tomatoes decompose into a delicious and fragrant mush (approximately
  8 minutes.) Stir constantly so that tomato mixture doesn't stick.
  Turn heat to low if necessary.
  
  3. Scrape out this mush into the lentils and stir it in. Let lentils
  sit while you make the spiced oil.
  
  4. Do a quick rinse of the frying pan, without soap, and dry
  thoroughly. Add the remaining 2T oil and heat over medium high heat.
  When oil is hot add panch phanon mix and heat until the seeds begin
  to pop, about 15 seconds. Add red chilies and fry for another 15
  seconds, until they turn a little darker. Turn off heat and add the
  crushed garlic and let sizzle for about 30 seconds. Stir this mixture
  into the lentil/tomato mixture and serve with rice. Adjust salt.
  
  NOTE: Using ghee changes the taste compared with oil. I prefer it for
  step 4. It tastes good either way though.
  
  JKANDELL@VIOLET.CCIT.ARIZONA.EDU
  
  (JONATHAN KANDELL)
  
  REC.FOOD.RECIPES
  
  From rec.food.cooking archives.  Downloaded from Glen's MM Recipe