Minty Red Lentils with Cilantro and Raw Onion

This full-flavored dal is an odd one, in terms of seasoning styles. Normally we slow-cook onions to extract their sweet flavor, and herbs play a minor role in augmenting that. Here, the onion slices are not cooked but the herbs are, which makes every bite of this dal an assertive one. In order to minimize the onion’s pungency, I usually serve this with Black Puttu Rice. The rice has a nutty, brown rice-like quality and tends to soften the dal’s tastes and