Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew (Masoor Dal)

Masoor Dal is a staple diet in India where there is a substantial vegetarian population. But what does it mean. Well, Dal is Indian for lentil. Massor means pink. So it’s a stew or thick soup made with red lentils. It is essentially a lentil soup. India is the second largest producer of lentils. Yes, we’re making lentil soup but it’s healthy, it’s high in protein, and it tastes really good. The sweet potatoes add a creamy texture to the stew. Lentil and sweet potato stew (masoor dahl) served over white jasmine rice and Na’an bread (an Indian style pita bread).

It starts with sweating down the onions garlic and ginger. It’s the Indian version of Mirepoix. Please follow this link to read my post about Mirepoix. Adding the spices and allowing the them to release their aromas. Add the lentils to absorb all that goodness. Add the liquid cook for 20 mins to half hour and you’re done, a nice bowl of deliciousness

Firstly , it’s easier to have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go before starting. By doing this you can focus on the cooking process not the prepping process and each step will go more smoothly. So get a cutting board and a few bowls and cut up or measure out the ingredients

Masoor Dal is a one pot meal. I usually use a 5.5 qt pot with a tight fitting lid. This will allow us to sweat down the onions, garlic and spices, add the lentils, and liquid and let everything come together as it cooks. One pot is less cleanup, however, one pot keeps flavors. The little bits that stick to the pot as you’re cooking are flavors, you want to keep those. You can use an enameled dutch oven, or even a large frying pan, it all depends what’s in your closet. The only thing to remember is one pot with a lid

When selecting an oil, some oils can handle heat and some can’t, some oils are healthy, and, some, not so. Some oils are flavorful, and some are neutral. When sweating down onions and garlic we won’t be using a tremendous heat. My preference for this dish is a neutral flavor oil. So I’ll use Grape seed oil, but if you have a preference of olive oil, it won’t affect the dish

When choosing a stock, again personal preference plays a big factor. By using vegetable stock this recipe is vegan, yet some may prefer to use chicken stock. Some of us are on a low sodium regimen, some don’t have to worry. This choice can be yours, and it won’t affect the dish. You may pick up a flavor difference between the two, but either way it’s a personal choice

So now the aromatics. Firstly the onion and garlic go into oil over a medium heat. Allow them to cook down till they have an opaque appearance and are soft. This should take about 5 mins, stirring regularly. Then add the ginger for about a minute. Ginger can stick, so adding it after the onions are cooked takes advantage of the moisture created. If it does, don’t worry, it will add to the flavor of the stew.

After a minute or so add the spices, stirring everything together, keep covered when not stirring. When you do you will definitely smell the aromas of the spices as they are released by the heat. After another minute or so add the lentil and sweet potatoes, stirring everything together. You want them coated in the onion spice mixture. Once everything is coated add the tomatoes, stock and water. Stir to mix and prevent clumping, bring to a boil, turn to low and simmer

Rice can be a challenge for some and easy for others, however, there is a simple rule to follow to make good rice; Leave it alone to cook with the lid on. So we’ll make 1 cup of rice white jasmine rice, I always rinse my rice before I cook it, for the same reason I rinse my fruit before eating, I don’t know where it’s been. Please read my post Safe Food Prep practices in the Kitchen to learn more.

So, 1 1/2 cups of water in a saucepan over medium heat, when it boils, add the rinsed rice, stir, bring it back to a boil, lower the heat to its lowest setting, cover with a lid, set the timer for 15 mins and leave it alone. When the timer goes off, take it off the heat, fluff with a fork, put the lid on and wait 5 mins, then your rice is ready to serve

That’s it, lentil and sweet potato stew (masoor dahl). If you are going to serve with Na’an bread, warm it in the oven before serving