Daal Chawal: Indian lentils and rice are the answer to a vegan’s prayer

[Guest guest]

Vegans are the brave and ethical souls of today's society. Veganism is a

lifestyle choice that excludes the use of animals or animal products for food,

clothing or any other purpose. It is truly a daring endeavor considering the

meal choices presented in American society today. The meal choices presented to

a vegan conjure up images of bland, uninteresting and often unpalatable food.

 

That changes completely when you bring India into the equation. For centuries,

many Indians have sustained themselves and thrived on a diet that does not

involve the use of animals nor animal products.

 

We all know that the human body requires protein for sustenance and growth.

Animal protein such as meat, dairy, fish and eggs contains all the necessary

amino acids to constitute a complete protein. Plant groups contain different

essential amino acids and need to be combined with other food groups to be

rendered a complete protein.

 

The most popular such combination the world over for a complete protein is

legumes and grains. Lentils and rice is the solution and is perhaps the most

widely consumed meal combination the world over. In India – it's called Daal

Chawal: Daal being the Hindi term for lentils and chawal being the term for

rice. For our vegan, a helping of chawal and a spoonful of delicioius daal is

all you need to get the strength and nourishment you need.

 

The easiest to prepare and most commonly found daal preparation we know is Daal

Tadka. This dish is made exclusively with split lentils such as Masoor daal

(split red lentils), Yellow daal or Moong daal (split moong beans), Chana daal

(split chick peas) or Toor daal (split pigeon peas – the most popular in India).

Split lentils, unlike its whole counterparts, cook down quickly and easily and

reduce to a homogenous pulp. Its texture varies from that of a thick porridge to

a runny soup, depending on the likes and dislikes of the cook.

 

Tadka is the Hindi word for tempering. The rich flavor is achieved by tempering

oil (or ghee if you choose the non vegan route) with spices and flavoring.

Adding the aromatics to hot oil causes the volatile oils in them to explode thus

imparting its flavor to the dish. The tadka when introduced to boiled lentils

adds the wealth of flavor and taste that is sought after.

 

The following recipe for Daal Tadka calls for Yellow daal (split moong daal) and

is easily available at your local Indian store. The step-by-step instructional

video will guide you through the process of making Daal Tadka:

 

Daal:

 

1 cup yellow split lentils

½ tsp ginger paste

salt to taste

 

Tadka:

 

2 tbsp Ghee or oil

½ tsp brown mustard seeds

½ tsp cumin seeds

3 – 4 flakes garlic pounded and roughly chopped

3 – 4 dried red chilies

5 -6 curry leaves

¼ tsp turmeric powder

a pinch of asafetida (hing)

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 lime (juiced – optional)

¼ cup chopped cilantro (for garnish)

 

Wash the lentils thoroughly and strain. In a pot, combine with 4 cups of cold

water and bring to a boil. A film of foam will start to form on the surface

after 5 - 7 minutes of boiling. It's perfectly normal and should be skimmed off

and discarded. Season the boiling daal with salt and add a half tsp of ginger

paste. Simmer till lentils are cooked and take on the appearance of a pulp like

porridge.

 

In a separate sauté pan on medium heat, add the ghee or the oil. When the

ghee/oil is hot and shimmers on the surface, add in the mustard and cumin seeds.

The seeds will start crackling as the seeds start to perfume the oil.

 

Add the chilies, the garlic and curry leaves and sauté for a minute. Add the

turmeric powder and the pinch of asafetida and stir quickly for approximately 30

seconds.

 

Add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes till the tomatoes break down into a

pulp like mass. Your tadka (tempering) is now ready.

 

Add the tadka to the pot of simmering lentils. Stir and cover for a few minutes

to allow the flavors and aromas of the tempering permeate the lentils. If you

like citrus flavors in your daal, you may squeeze in the juice of half a lime as

per your taste. This is purely optional but it does give the daal a very fresh

and tangy flavor.

 

Serve over Basmati rice, garnished with a sprinkling of chopped cilantro leaves.

 

Happy eating!!!