South Indian Tamarind Dal with Curry Leaves and Coconut

A spicy South Indian dal made from pigeon peas, flavored with tamarind, curry leaves and a hint of coconut. Serve with basmati rice; the spiced tempering adds freshness and heat to the plate.

By yumbelo · 2 servings · 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 150 g Toor dal (split pigeon peas)
• 120 g Basmati rice
• 100 ml Coconut milk
• 1 pc Onion
• 1 pc Tomato
• 2 pc Garlic cloves
• 1 tsp Ginger, freshly grated
• 1 pc Green chili
• 2 pc Dried red chilies
• 8 pc Curry leaves
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 1 tsp Tamarind paste
• 1 tbsp Cooking oil
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 bunch Fresh coriander
• 1 pc Lime

Method

1. Rinse the pigeon peas in a sieve under cold water. Bring them to a boil in a pot with 600 ml water, turmeric and half a teaspoon of salt, then simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes until soft, stirring occasionally and skimming off the foam.
2. Rinse the basmati rice in a sieve and bring it to a boil in a second pot with slightly more than twice its volume of water. Cover and cook over low heat for about 12 minutes, then let it rest for 5 minutes.
3. Finely dice the onion, chop the garlic, slice the green chili into fine rings and dice the tomato.
4. Heat the oil in a small pan and toast the cumin seeds in it for a few seconds until fragrant. Add the dried chilies and curry leaves and let them sizzle briefly.
5. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and green chili and fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Add the tomato and let it cook for 3 minutes until soft.
6. Stir in the tamarind paste and 100 ml water. Add the mixture to the lentils in the pot, stir well and simmer everything for 5 minutes.
7. Stir in the coconut milk and season the dal with the remaining half teaspoon of salt. If needed, add a little more water until the consistency is creamy but not too thick.
8. Coarsely chop the coriander and halve the lime. Sprinkle the dal with coriander, drizzle with a little lime juice and serve with the rice.