Lentils

From An Invitation to Indian Cooking, by Madhur Jaffrey, Vintage Books, 1973.

This is a solid, good tasting lentil dish.

Ingredients

2 cups lentils
1 cinnamon stick, 2-3 inches long
1 bay leaf
5 cloves garlic
2 slices fresh, peeled ginger, 1/8-inch thick, not more than 1 inch in diameter
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
3/4 lemon
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons oil or ghee
A pinch ground asafetida (opt)
1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

Directions

Wash the lentils. Drain. In a 4-quart, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the lentils, 6 cups water, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, garlic cloves, ginger slices and turmeric. Bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat, and simmer gently until tender, about 30-45 minutes.

Slice the lemon into 5 or 6 rounds. Remove seeds. Lift cover of pot and put in the lemon slices, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Stir. Cover and simmer another 5 minutes.

Just before serving, heat the vegetable oil in a 4-6-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When very hot, put in the asafetida and the cumin seeds. As soon as the asafetida begins to sizzle and expand, and the cumin seeds darken, pour the contents of the skillet over the lentils and stir.

To serve: Serve the lentils with rice or any of the breads.

Jim Plank

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