Name: Red Lentils with Chiles (Mirchi Waale Masoor Ki Dal)
Yield: Makes 3 cups
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; 6 fresh green Thai, cayenne, or serrano chiles, stems removed, cut in half lengthwise (do not remove the seeds); 1 small red onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced; ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric; 2 tablespoons canola oil; 1 cup skinned split brown lentils (salmon-colored in this form, masoor dal), picked over for stones; 1 tablespoon Ginger Paste; 1 tablespoon Garlic Paste; 1 tablespoon Ghee; Juice of 1 large lime; 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems; 1 teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt; 3 dried red Thai or cayenne chiles, stems removed

Preparation info

Makes
3 cups

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

660 Curries

By Raghavan Iyer

Published 2008

About

Beautiful salmon-colored lentils (also known as Egyptian lentils) unfortunately lose their color and turn yellow when they are cooked. They have a mild, delicate flavor, are very quick-cooking, and are an ideal choice should you wish to throw something healthy together at the last minute. I love this for a simple lunch over cooked white rice, with a side of Indian pickles (either homemade or store-bought) and some flame-toasted or deep-fried lentil wafers