Lentils

Oh, lentils. I live off them. They are easy to cook, store well in your kitchen cupboards, and pack some good plant-based protein into your diet. Indian cooking uses a variety of lentils, the most common of which is the red split lentil, core ingredient of tarka dal. Urad dal, also called black gram, is the lentil called for in dal makhani, and when making dosas. These are the two lentils called for in this book, although I do encourage you to try a whole lot more and experiment with their different flavours and textures. Red split lentils are readily available at any supermarket, but urad dal is a little harder to find – I get mine from an Indian grocery store, and it is also available online.