Dhall With Chapati by Chef Emmanuel Stroobant
Ingredients
DHALL
- 400 g red lentils, washed
- 2 tsp turmeric powder, freshly grated
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
- 2 fresh green chillies, finely sliced (see Chef’s tip)
- 1 tsp garam masala (ground spice blend)
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 5 cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 3 Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
CHAPATI (Makes 12)
- 250 g whole-wheat flour
- 200 ml water
- 1 tsp salt, plus extra flour for dusting while rolling the chapatis
Steps
In a small frying pan, dry-fry the cumin seeds over a medium heat until toasted and fragrant. Set aside.
Melt a tablespoon of butter in a pot and gently fry the garlic, onion, chillies, ginger and tomatoes. Once the garlic is golden, mix in the toasted cumin seeds, garam masala and ground coriander.
Add the lentils to the pot and cover with cold water. Bring to boil (skim off any scum that rises to the top), and reduce to a simmer. Stir in the turmeric and the remaining butter. Cover and leave to cook gently until the lentils are completely softened.
CHAPATI In a large bowl combine flour and salt. Add the water and stir with fingers until it starts making a dough. Knead the flour until you have soft and pliable dough that does not stick to your fingers. Rest for minimum 1 hour at room temperature. Divide the dough into 12 equal-sized balls. Roll each ball in dry flour and flatten with a rolling pin. Place the rolled chapati on the hot griddle and cook for 30 secs or until tiny golden dots appear on the bottom, flip over. You can puff up the chapati on direct flame too.
Serve dhall in a bowl with chapatis at the side.
CHEF’S TIP: If you want a less spicy version, remove the seeds from the green chillies to keep the heat down. Great for kids who can’t take spicy foods.