Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani

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.

Indian 3 hours 15 minutes Serves6
Misir Wat

Misir Wat

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.

Ethiopian 1 hour 5 minutes Serves4
Mujadara

Mujadara

Lentils (brown or green, not red) simmer for 25 minutes until tender. Two batches of sliced onion fry in olive oil, the first batch goes very dark mahogany (almost burnt at edges) for the flavour base; the second batch is fried separately and reserved as a crispy topping. Rinsed basmati rice cooks absorption-style with the lentils, the first batch of onion, cumin, allspice and stock for 20 minutes. The crispy onion scatters on top at the table.

Sides 1 hour 25 minutes Serves4