25 January 2014

Weekend Cooking : Winter Vegetable Dal

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On these cold, cold nights we've been craving soups, stews, and hardy meals. I bet everyone else in the northern latitudes has felt the same. Seriously, we've hardly gotten above 10°F, and the wind chills are well below zero.

So instead of a cookbook review this week, I though I'd share a winter-weather recipe that was hit for us. This vegetarian stew comes from Eating Well, a magazine I buy on occasion. I served this delicious dish with a tossed salad and some homemade flatbread (but not the recipe suggested by the magazine). My changes are in blue.

Winter Vegetable Dal
From Eating Well, January/February 2014, p. 67
Photo from the magazine's website, all rights remain with them.
Serves 6
  • copyright Eating Well2 tablespoons coconut oil or canola oil [I used olive]
  • 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 12 fresh curry leaves or 1 large bay leaf [I used the bay leaf]
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 serrano chile, finely diced [I used 2 jalapenos]
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
  • 4 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 4½ cups water
  • 1½ cups red lentils, rinsed
  • 1 (14-ounce) can lite coconut milk
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2½ cups cubed peeled butternut squash [I bought already cut-up squash]
  • 2 cups cauliflower florets (1-inch)
  • 1 large Yukon Gold potato (about 8 ounces), cut into ½-inch chunks
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves (if using) and cook until the seeds begin to pop, about 20 seconds. Add onion, chile, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is starting to brown, about 5 minutes.

Add bay leaf (if using), water, lentils, coconut milk, salt and turmeric to the pot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to make sure the lentils don’t stick to the bottom. Add squash, cauliflower and potato; return to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender when pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from heat; stir in garam masala and lime juice.

25 comments:

Marg 1/25/14, 6:20 AM  

I've never made a Dal before! Not the weather for it here really at the moment but something to keep in mind for later in the year.

Too Fond 1/25/14, 6:29 AM  

This looks delicious! I love dal but have never made one with cauliflower and squash before--sounds great.

Tina 1/25/14, 6:41 AM  

Now I know that hits the spot on these cold days. I sure love butternut squash, this looks healthy and comforting both.

Believe it or not but we had sleet forecasted last night. I'm in Florida! Try and stay warm up there!

rhapsodyinbooks 1/25/14, 7:02 AM  

I love dal and I often have it with naan, although I have to confess that neither of them are homemade in my house (unless you count "heating in the microwave").

jama 1/25/14, 7:20 AM  

Oh Yum! Love lentils, will have to try this. :)

Sarah (Sarah's Book Shelves) 1/25/14, 7:58 AM  

YUM -this looks and sounds delicious! And perfect for the Polar Vortex! I like your tip about buying cubed butternut squash - those things are a pain to peel!

Anonymous,  1/25/14, 8:16 AM  

Ooh I love this! We make a lentil dal quite often but I like that this has other veggies as well.

Amanda 1/25/14, 8:39 AM  

Ooh, this sounds really delicious. I wish I could eat it. Sadly, I can't have garam masala. One day Jason and I will make our own, but as of right now, the only access we have to garam masala is to imported versions, and the last time we tried one of those, it was badly cross-contaminated with gluten even though the only ingredients on the label were various spices. I had a really major reaction. :( So we've had to stop eating it, and we have no idea of knowing which brands - there are no US brands, as far as we can tell, and none available in our area anyway - will be safe for me. :(

bermudaonion 1/25/14, 9:31 AM  

Yes, it's definitely time for dishes like that and we're not nearly as cold as you are. This sounds delicious!

nishitak 1/25/14, 9:39 AM  

That's our favorite comfort food. Simple and easy :)

(Diane) bookchickdi 1/25/14, 9:58 AM  

I just got this issue of Eating Well and saw this. You are so right, it is soup and stew weather- brrrr.

Daryl 1/25/14, 10:04 AM  

finished my juice cleanse, took off 4 lbs ... i am happy so my first 'meal' is a big bowl of cream of wheat .. with honey .. i love dal .. i love indian food .. great post

Beth S. 1/25/14, 10:13 AM  

I'm not usually a fan of squash or cauliflower but this does sound pretty good.

Esme 1/25/14, 10:46 AM  

This sounds perfect for a winter day.

Linda 1/25/14, 11:25 AM  

Sounds delightful!

Kailana 1/25/14, 11:41 AM  

Glad you got your post up in the end. :)

Peaceful Reader 1/25/14, 12:51 PM  

This looks delicious. My mom gave me a subscription to Eating Well one year and I miss it a little. We are freezing here as well and this looks like a perfect meal for this week's menu planning.

Anonymous,  1/25/14, 2:32 PM  

That looks absolutely perfect for a cold day meal.

Carole 1/25/14, 3:15 PM  
This comment has been removed by the author.
Debbie 1/25/14, 10:58 PM  

I love all the ingredients. I just have never had a Dal. I will have to put it on my list to try.

Melynda@Scratch Made Food! 1/26/14, 7:26 AM  

That Dal looks delicious. We are experimenting with more spicy and fragrant foods. Sharing sourdough this weekend, both the starter and some muffins.

Sue Jackson 1/26/14, 10:14 AM  

Oh, my gosh, that looks sooo good! My sons would never eat it, though - they are not fond of either coconut or curry. I will have to make it for my mom when she visits! In fact, after she had surgery last fall, I stayed with her and made a very similar recipe from Cooking Light. We both loved it.

Somehow, I never noticed that you had changed the pic for Weekend Cooking I will get with the program next weekend ;)

Sue

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Carol 1/26/14, 9:26 PM  

Sounds yummy, but I don't think my daughter would eat it.

Leslie (Under My Apple Tree) 1/27/14, 1:38 PM  

Soup sounds really good right now. It just keeps getting colder and colder.

Love that magazine - Eating Well. I had a subscription to it a few years ago and kept all the copies. I still refer back to them.

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