Two-Hour Lentils Are A Lie
My Black Dal Recipe
I absolutely despise the false illusion that a dish meant to be cooked for an entire day can somehow taste the same when prepared in just two hours. So, I spent 19 hours recreating my favorite dal from a restaurant called Bukhara in Delhi to show you the transformation that happens during a slow, patient cooking process.
I soaked the lentils overnight to get a head-start so you can add another eight hours to this process. Soaking isn't essential but it produces a creamier result. Drain the water that the lentils soaked in and refill with fresh water before cooking them.
I'm all for efficiency gains in the kitchen when it makes sense. What annoys me the most about these shortcuts is that they don't disclose that the result will not be the same. I understand the intention behind it. Not everyone has 19 hours to cook a dish and a two-hour version is more practical. However, I think it undermines the effort that is required to achieve a certain result in the kitchen.
This black lentil recipe is from one of my favorite restaurants in Delhi. The secret behind the creaminess of their dal is not cream or butter. It's the fact that the dal is cooked for 24 hours on a low coal fire. The chefs leave it to cook overnight and come back and tend to it for the entire day before it's ready to be served to guests.
It's that long process of cooking the lentils on low heat that coaxes the starch out of the grains which mixes in with the water to create a rich, creamy texture. The frequent stirring further agitates the starch granules and helps them combine with the water.
You could cook this in an instapot or crockpot, if you have one. I cooked mine in the oven.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup black lentils, dried
3 cups water
Salt
1/2 tbsp ginger paste
1/2 tbsp garlic paste
1/4 cup crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp heavy cream
Method
Wash the lentils and soak them in cold water overnight.
Drain the water the next day and add 2 cups of water to the same pot and bring it to a boil on the stovetop, covered.
Transfer to a 300°F oven and cook for 6-10 hours, stirring every hour or so. Add more water if the water evaporates completely. We don't want the lentils to stick to the bottom of the pan.
Once the lentils are fully cooked and can be smashed easily between your fingers, add the ginger and garlic pastes, crushed tomatoes, salt, butter and Kashmiri red chili powder. Mash partially and put it back in the oven for another 4-8 hours. Stir every hour.
Once you're happy with the cook and texture, taste for salt and adjust as needed.
Drizzle a little bit of cream and add a knob of butter and serve with naan.