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Simon Majumdar
Simon Majumdar is a broadcaster and author who has dedicated the second half of his
time on this planet to fulfill his ambition to “Go Everywhere. Eat Everything.” He’s the author
of “Eat My Globe and Eating for Britain” and “Fed, White and Blue,” cataloging his journey to
American citizenship, is scheduled for publication in 2015 by Hudson Street Press.
RED LENTIL DAhL
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
1 cup of red lentils (I toast these first in a dry pan, using my fingers to stir
and when it is too hot to touch, it is done. This gives a nutty flavor to the lentils.)
1 lemon (chopped into eighths)
1 white onion (sliced)
2 cardamom pods
2 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves garlic
3 fresh green chilies
2 inches of fresh ginger
1 teaspoon each of ground turmeric/ginger/
cumin/coriander seed/hot chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 ½ pints of water, chicken or vegetable stock
1 bag of spinach (washed)
DIRECTIONS
Make a paste by blending the ginger/garlic with a little salt and water. Finely mince the
fresh green chili. Put 2 tablespoons of oil into a hot pan and when it comes to heat,
add the cardamom, cloves and cinnamon stick. Cook for 1 minute on a low heat until
they release their flavor. Add the onion and cook on a low heat until it begins to soften
and turn golden. Don’t rush this as you want the natural sweetness of the onions to
be released. Add the ginger/garlic paste and cook for 2-4 minutes until it loses its
rawness. Add the minced chilies and cook for 4 minutes. Add the ground spices,
sugar and salt and mix well with the onions and cook out for 4 minutes until the
spices lose their rawness. If the mixture begins to stick add a little water. Add
the lentils and mix well so all the pulses are covered with the mixture. Add 1
½ pints of water/stock and the lemons pieces. Simmer for 30 minutes until
the lentils have broken down. Add more water if it sticks. Some lentils may
take a little longer than others. When the lentils have broken down, whisk the
dal gently to create a gravy consistency. Add the spinach, cover the pan and
allow to wilt into the lentils. The end result is quite a watery dahl which is great
as a side dish or served over rice with a hard-boiled egg.
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