This is a lentil vegetarian curry that can be made for Lent or those Fridays that people choose to abstain from meat. It is a dish that most Indian homes will cook at least once a week. It can be eaten with rice or flat breads like prata, chapatis, puri or putu mayam.
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
half a teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
1 big red fresh chilli, slit lengthwise and halved
1 and 1/2 cups finely diced big onions
5 garlic cloves and 1 inch ginger, peel skin and pound to a paste together
1 inch ginger, finely minced
3 to 4 tomatoes, chopped
1 big brinjal, cut into chunks
1 big carrot, cut into chunks
3 potatoes, peel skin and halve or quarter them (Depending on size of the potatoes)
1 and 1/2 cups toovr dhal lentils, washed 3 times and soak for 20 minutes
Spice powders: 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoon cummin powder ( or use ready-made sambar )
1 teaspoon chilli powder (spice powders - 2 tablespoons)
2 to 3 teaspoons sea salt
3/4 cup tamarind juice
chopped cilantro (coriander leaves), for garnish
1 teaspoon garam masala powder
Wash the lentils. Soak for 20 minutes. Then drain the water. Put the lentils in a pot and add enough water to submerge the lentils and then a little more about an inch and a half higher than dhal lentils in the pot. Bring to a boil. Remove any forth that rises to the surface. After 10 minutes, stir in 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder and half a teaspoon of salt. Add the potatoes and carrot and and cook for 15 minutes. Then add the brinjal and tomatoes. Keep on a low simmer for 10 minutes. Watch water content and add a cup more if necessary. After the 10 minutes, turn off heat and cover the pot.
Heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil or ghee in a frying pan and add the curry leaves, fresh chillie and mustard seeds. When mustard seeds start crackling in the hot oil, add the minced ginger and fenugreek seeds. Cook for 10 seconds and then add the ginger-garlic paste and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook tossing about for 2 minutes. Stir in the spice powders (turmeric, cummin and chilli ) and stir-fry for a few seconds. Then take a cup full of lentil gravy from the pot of vegetables and pour into the frying pan. Stir to mix. Now add the ingredients from the frying pan into the pot of lentils and vegetables. Bring the heat back on and add the tamarind juice half portion at a time. Give a good stir to mix. Taste and if more salt is needed, add accordingly.
Where salt and tamarind is concerned, always add a little at a time. You can always add more at the end as when needed but you don't want it too sour or saltish because you cannot take it out.
At the last 2 minutes before taking off heat, stir in the garam masala and chopped coriander leaves.
You can serve this lentils vegetable curry over rice accompanied with a side dish of tofu sambal, papadoms and lime achar.
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