Home > Online Magazine > Online Magazine: Edition 60 - Winter (Jun-Aug) 2019 > Recipe - Slow Cooker Dahl (by Erica Green)

Recipe - Slow Cooker Dahl

by Erica Green

NOTE: Print This Page for easy reference when cooking.

Winter is the season to get your slow cookers, out of the cupboard for some slow cooked, cold weather comfort food, and it does not have to be meat. Legumes and curries both benefit from slow and low cooking, so with dahl you get both.

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

2 Tbsp oil
2 onions, chopped
2 Tsp. garlic paste
1 Tbsp. ginger paste
1 long red chilli, chopped
2 Tsp. ground cumin
2 Tsp. ground coriander
2 Tsp. ground turmeric
2 cups red lentils
5 cups water
2 Tsp. Massel vegetable stock powder
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
Salt to taste
2 Tsp. cumin seeds
2 Tsp. black mustard seeds

Method

Sauté the onions, garlic, ginger paste and chilli in the oil until softened but not browned. Add the ground cumin, coriander and turmeric. Sauté for a minute until you can smell the spices.
Add the sautéed onions and spices to the bowl of a slow cooker along with the red lentils, water, stock powder and canned tomatoes.
Cook on high for 2-3 hours (or low for 4-6) or until lentils and softened but not totally mushy. Add salt to taste.
In a small dry pan, toast the cumin and black mustard seeds until fragrant.
Serve Dahl garnished with toasted seeds with flat bread or rice.

About the Recipe

This recipe is suitable for both vegetarians and vegans.
Massel make a range of vegan stocks and stock powders. They are readily available in the major supermarkets, and you can also get low salt varieties, if that is an issue for you. Very much a staple item in my pantry.
Red lentils are readily available in the soup section of most major retailers
Leftover curries are often tastier the second time around, and this dish is no exception. Left over ideas:- As a sandwich spread; As a dip with crackers; Spread between two tortillas with grated cheese and toasted on a sandwich press.

About slow cookers

A slow cooker, otherwise known as a crock pot (from the 70's), is an electrical appliance consisting of:- an electric element, a ceramic pot (crock pot) and glass lid, and is used to simmer food at low temperatures. At its most basic, the appliance will have a low and high setting. The more expensive versions have timers and other functions, such as pre sauté.
Once you have set the cooker into operation, don't keep opening the lid. Every time you open the lid, heat will escape, which will in turn lengthen the cooking time required. Only open the lid when necessary to check progress towards the end of the cooking time or in order to add other ingredients.
Cooking times will differ from one cooker to another, so the first time that you make a recipe you may have to keep an eye on progress. As a rule of thumb 1 hour at high equals 2 hours at low.

Home > Online Magazine > Online Magazine: Edition 60 - Winter (Jun-Aug) 2019 > Recipe - Slow Cooker Dahl (by Erica Green)