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A British curry-house classic with sweet-sour notes of pineapple and lemon and earthy dhansak lentils. Inspired by Parsi dhansaks, this version uses red split lentils and pre-cooked chicken for convenience while keeping the iconic flavour profile.
Fresh coconut is ground with green chilli, ginger, roasted gram and a small splash of water into a smooth paste. The chutney is finished with a tempering of mustard seeds, dried red chilli, curry leaves and asafoetida in hot oil, poured over the white chutney for a striking visual and aromatic contrast.
Plain steamed rice (often last night's leftovers) is the base. A hot temper of mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, cashews, dried red chilli and curry leaves is bloomed in coconut oil, then fresh grated coconut is folded in and warmed through. The rice is tossed through everything off the heat, so the grains stay separate and pick up flavour rather than soften.
Dried urad dal (white, sometimes labelled "white lentils" or "split urad") soaks overnight, then blends with ginger, green chilli and a small amount of water into a smooth thick batter. Whipped vigorously for 5 minutes to incorporate air (this is what makes the fritters light). Asafoetida and salt season; baking soda activates right before frying. Fritters drop into 175°C oil; fry for 3-4 minutes until amber. Lifted into a wide bowl of lukewarm water; soaked for 10 minutes; squeezed gently between palms to remove most water. Plated in shallow bowls; flooded with sweet salted spiced yogurt; topped with chutneys, chaat masala, pomegranate, fresh coriander, a sprinkle of crushed papri or sev for crunch.
Whole black urad lentils and a small handful of red kidney beans are soaked overnight, then pressure-cooked or simmered until completely tender. A tomato-and-spice masala is built separately with onion, garlic, ginger and a careful hand with the spices. The lentils are folded into the masala and simmered, low and slow, for two hours, while butter and cream are stirred through in the final stage. The lentils break down into a glossy, almost-velvet finish.
Cracked wheat (daleya), pearl barley, chana dal, masoor dal, moong dal and urad dal soak overnight together. Mutton on the bone (or beef shin) simmers separately with ginger-garlic paste, ground spices, onion and salt for 2 hours until tender. The drained grains and lentils join; everything simmers 2 more hours, beating periodically with a wooden masher (or blitzing in batches with a stick blender) until the meat strands break apart and integrate with the grain. The base goes intensely smooth, almost the texture of porridge. Off heat, fried onions, ghee-and-cumin tarka, julienned ginger, lemon, chilli and herbs finish each bowl.
Lamb shoulder cubes simmer slow with chickpeas, lentils, tomatoes, vermicelli noodles, and a heavy spice mix (ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin) in a generous broth. The soup is finished by adding the noodles in the last 10 minutes and a final scatter of fresh coriander, parsley and lemon juice.
Split yellow moong dal (or chana dal, or a mix) is rinsed and pressure-cooked or simmered with turmeric until completely soft. The dal is mashed lightly to a porridge consistency. A second pan fries ghee with whole cumin, garlic, sliced green chilli, dried red chilli and curry leaves until the garlic just turns golden. The hot tarka is poured over the dal with a dramatic sizzle; coriander and lemon finish.
A temper of mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal, peanuts, dried red chilli and curry leaves is bloomed in sesame oil. Turmeric is stirred in for colour. Cooked, cooled rice is tossed through off the heat, then lemon juice is added at the end so the heat doesn't dull the acidity. Bright lunchbox classic; the dish should taste fresh and tart, not muddled.
Yellow split peas (chana dal) simmer with onion, turmeric and tomato until very soft. The lentils break down into a thick soup. Right at the end, a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, dried red chillies, garlic and shallots is poured sizzling-hot over the surface. The aromatic oil seeps through; the dish transforms.
Ethiopia's red lentil stew, the vegan everyday main that turns up on every fasting-day table and most non-fasting ones too. You cook onions slowly in oil or niter kibbeh until they melt and turn jammy - this is the same long, patient onion cook that doro wat relies on. Berbere blooms in, tomato paste deepens, lentils go in with water and simmer until they're soft and the stew has thickened to a coating consistency. A squeeze of lemon at the end brightens the deep berbere-rich base. Bright orange from the spice, eaten by mopping with injera, made vegan with oil or richer with niter kibbeh. Either way, the dish that anchors an Ethiopian meal.
Spring roll wrappers fold around a filling of cooked lentils, peas, onion, garlic, ginger and a Somali spice mix (xawaash) of cumin, coriander, cardamom and cinnamon. Each is folded into a tight triangle, sealed with a flour-water paste, and deep-fried until golden.
Shukto is the dish that confuses newcomers and converts Bengalis for life. It is the first course of a traditional Bengali meal, served on the rice plate at the very start, before the dal, before the fish, before anything sweet. The logic is Ayurvedic: a small portion of something bitter eaten on an empty stomach is said to wake the digestion and tune the palate. The bitterness comes from korola (bitter gourd), but it is always counterweighted with the sweetness of milk, a little sugar, ripe banana plantain, sweet potato or radish, and the warm nuttiness of ground ginger and roasted radhuni (wild celery seed). The vegetables are cut to a uniform finger-shape (jhuri) and added in order of cooking time: bitter gourd first to mellow it, then plantain, drumstick, brinjal, sweet potato, with bori (sundried lentil dumplings) fried separately and stirred in at the end. The tempering is unusual: panch phoron or, more correctly for shukto, just radhuni and a pinch of mustard seeds in ghee. Milk is added towards the end and the dish is finished with a paste of ginger and a tablespoon of poppy seed or mustard ground with milk. It is mild, complex and unmistakably Bengali. A first-time cook should not be afraid of the bitterness; once the milk, ghee and sugar enter the pot it transforms into a balanced, almost soothing stew. Shukto is most associated with West Bengal and is served at every wedding, every shraddha (ancestral) feast and most Sunday lunches in a Bengali Hindu home.
Split yellow moong dal (or toor dal) cooks with turmeric, salt and water for 25 minutes until soft and breaking down. A small whisk smooths it into a creamy dal. Just before serving, ghee heats until shimmering; cumin seeds, garlic, dried chilli and asafoetida sizzle for 30 seconds; the whole sputtering mix is poured straight onto the dal. Fresh coriander, a wedge of lemon.