Indian Mixed Dal

I first tried Indian cuisine a few years ago while my brother and sister-in-law were in town for Christmas.  They insisted that my nutritarian parents and I give it a try since many recipes are vegetarian and often rely heavily on beans and legumes.  Wow!  Fantastic!  We couldnt get enough.  Soon most dinners out with my parents were to our new favorite Indian restaurant.

Now, I know Indian restaurants arent necessarily Nutritarian friendly since they are generally higher in salt and often use ghee (clarified butter), but thats why Im bringing you a recipe today that can be made at home with no salt, oil, or ghee!  For other Indian recipes Ive done before including whole wheat naan bread, click here.

Indian Mixed Dal
Time: 5 minute prep, 8 minutes in a pressure cook or 30 minutes on the stovetop
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
    Saute:  
        1/2 large onion, chopped
        2 cups sliced mushrooms
        1/2 jalapeno pepper, de-seeded and finely chopped
        1 Tbsp minced garlic
        1 tsp minced ginger
        1 tsp cumin seeds

    Dal:      
        1/3 cup red lentils
        1/3 cup yellow split peas
        1/3 cup green split peas
        3 cups water

    Spices:
        1 Tbsp gram marsala
        2 tsp ground coriander
        1 tsp smoked paprika
        1/2 tsp ground cumin
        1/2 tsp cinnamon
        1/2 tsp turmeric
        1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes            /

Instructions:
1.)  Saute the first 6 ingredients over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, adding small amounts of water as needed to prevent sticking.
2.)  Add in the dal, water, and spices, and stir well to combine.
3.)  If using a pressure cooker, set the cooker to 8 minutes at high pressure.  When 8 minutes is up, release the remaining pressure and stir thoroughly to mash up the dal.
      If cooking on the stovetop, bring the pot to a boil, and then lower the heat to a simmer.  Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes stirring occasionally and adding additional water if it becomes too dry.
4.)    Serve hot over a whole grain or with steamed veggies.

Amys Notes:

Since doing the ETL 6-Week Challenge, Im trying to limit myself on whole grains, so instead of serving my dal with brown rice, I decided to cut up zucchini really small (like rice) and steam it.

Health and Happiness,

Amy

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