← Nouns Cooking · Malaysian & Singaporean

Ingredients

• 200 g Red lentils, rinsed until the water runs clear
• 900 ml Water
• ½ tsp Ground turmeric
• 1 small potato, cut into 1.5 cm cubes
• 1 Carrot, sliced
• 1 small long aubergine (brinjal), cut into chunks
• 1 Tomato, cut into wedges
• 2 Green chilli, split lengthways
• 1 tsp Salt
• 3 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• ½ tsp Cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds (optional)
• 3 Dried chillies, broken in half
• 2 sprigs Curry leaves
• 4 Shallot, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves Garlic, sliced
• 1 tbsp Malaysian curry powder, mixed to a paste with 2 tbsp water
• 100 ml Coconut milk (optional)

Method

1. Put the lentils, water and turmeric in a pot and bring to the boil, skimming off the foam. Simmer for 6 min.
2. Add the potato and carrot and simmer for 6 min, then add the aubergine, tomato and green chillies and simmer for 6–8 min more, until the vegetables are tender and the lentils have collapsed into a thick soup.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and, once they pop, the cumin, fenugreek (if using), dried chillies and curry leaves. Stir for a few seconds, then add the shallots and garlic and fry for 3–4 min until golden.
4. Stir in the curry powder paste and fry for 1 minute until it smells toasty and the oil turns red.
5. Tip the sizzling tempering into the dhal, add the coconut milk (if using) and the salt, and simmer for 2 min. Add a splash of water if it is thicker than pouring cream. Serve with roti canai, thosai or rice.

Tips

• Many mamak stalls use chana dal or toor dal instead of red lentils; they need 40 minutes or more of simmering before the vegetables go in.
• Check that your curry powder has no added wheat flour if you need this gluten-free.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Nyonya Cooking SBS Food Taste Asian Food