Dhal Makhani

The word dhal or daal or dal is commonly seen in Indian cooking. It basically means lentils. Scholars would say that it's derived from a sanskrit word that means "to split". In any meaning, it's what gives the protein to many Indian vegetarian dishes.

For the first time, I made a simplistic version of it. The recipe called for yellow lentils. I substituted with yellow split peas. There were mixed reviews on the internet whether or not these two ingredients are that close. I had no choice, my car is broke down.

The staple ingredients for this dish aren't too far from most Indian food I make. Tomato puree, butter, and several spices to get a curry taste. What made this dish unique from most others was adding yogurt and the yellow split peas (should be lentils).

(above) the spices, yogurt, tomato puree, butter and water on a low and slow heat

(above) eggy mashing together the yellow split peas and kidney beans

(above) my free rice cooker from my Japanese intern

(above) Dhal Makhani served over rice with a dollop of yogurt on top