Quick Dal Tadka with Jeera Rice

Dal

• 160 g Red lentils
• ½ tsp Ground turmeric
• 2 medium Tomato, ripe
• 700 ml Water
• 1 tsp Fine sea salt

Jeera rice

• 150 g Basmati rice
• 2 tbsp Ghee
• 2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 300 ml Water

Tadka and finish

• 3 cloves Garlic
• 2 pieces Dried red chili
• 10 g Fresh coriander
• 1 piece Lemon

1. Rinse the basmati rice in cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Set it aside to drain while you start the dal.
2. Rinse the red lentils, then tip them into a saucepan with the water, ground turmeric and fine sea salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils are soft and creamy.
3. While the lentils simmer, cut the tomatoes into small pieces and finely slice the garlic. Roughly chop the fresh coriander and cut the lemon into wedges.
4. Stir the tomatoes into the dal and simmer for 5 minutes until the tomatoes soften and the dal thickens slightly. If it looks too thick, loosen with a splash of water.
5. For the jeera rice, heat 1 tbsp of the ghee in a small pot over medium heat. Add 1 tsp of the cumin seeds and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, then stir in the drained rice.
6. Add the water to the rice, bring to the boil, then cover and cook on low for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
7. For the tadka, heat the remaining ghee in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining cumin seeds, garlic and dried red chilli and cook for 45 to 60 seconds until the garlic turns pale golden and the spices smell toasted.
8. Pour the sizzling tadka over the dal and gently stir once or twice, keeping some of the spiced ghee on the surface. Serve with the jeera rice, scatter over the fresh coriander, and finish with lemon to taste.

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