The other day I was seriously uninspired when it came to supper. No exageration. Usually I don’t mind cooking, but my kitchen was pretty bare, and I didn’t really have any vegetables in the house other than tomatoes, and those were on the sofer end and needed to be cooked to eat. I had no clue what to make to serve my family, and then I remembered a recipe my friend Rachel had shared with me, claiming it was delicious and easy. Well- that’s exactly what I needed! And since it was tomato based, even better!
This recipe for tomato dal (Indian lentil sauce) is loosely based on this recipe. Meaning- I started off with that recipe, saw I didn’t have a bunch of the ingredients that it called for, so played around with it and made it my own. I can’t tell you how the original recipe tastes, but the version that I made was terrific! I served it with rice cooked with tomatoes and turmeric, and it hit the spot.
I hope you like this recipe as much as I do! This is vegan, allergy friendly (unless you have allergies to nightshades and/or mustard), gluten free, GAPS legal (leave out the rice), and just an all around cheap, good meal.
Tomato Dal Recipe- Gluten Free, Vegan, GAPS Legal
Ingredients:
2/3 cup red lentils
1 large onion (I used purple because that’s what I had, but white is fine)
3 tomatoes or 1 1/2 cups tomatoes
2 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
3/4 teaspoon cumin
4 cloves garlic
1/2-1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Hot pepper flakes to taste
Instructions:
1. Chop the tomatoes and onion.
2. Place in a pot with the lentils and water.
3. Bring to a boil, and cook until lentils are soft and starting to mush. Cooking it in a pressure cooker will make it go much faster, but it isn’t necessary.
4. In a separate pan, heat up the oil. When hot, add the mustard seeds, cumin, and chopped garlic and cook until the garlic browns.
5. Add the oil, spices, and garlic to the lentils.
6. Mix well, and add salt, lemon juice, and hot pepper flakes to taste.
Enjoy!
Are you a fan of red lentils? What is your favorite thing to do with them? Does this look like a recipe you’d enjoy?
What’s the last thing you cooked when you were completely uninspired?
