Lentil Purée........Dhal: A Taste Of India / Pakistan Mixed With France.

Lentils come in many colors. They are very healthy because they contain lots of iron and other minerals. Apart from being healthy lentils are inexpensive meaning that you can eat lentils and stay within a budget, big or small.

Fine Lentils
My Photo
India and Pakistan have very interesting ways of cooking lentils to render them more palatable by using exotic spices to be eaten alone or serving them with lamb or even fish.  Naan bread is always used.http: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vow-kxTPatc
Today I would like to share with you a recipe for lentils. It is a mixture of Indian and French. French being the addition of fresh double cream in the centre at the time of serving or you could add yogurt.
You will therefore need:
Serves 4:
-  2 cups of green / brown small sized lentils well washed
-  4 bay leaves.
-  8 cloves of garlic crushed and thinly chopped.
-  1 Tbsp. turmeric powder.
-  2 Knorr or Maggi vegetable cubes  very thnly sliced to esealy dissolve in the boiling lentils.
-  1 inch worth of fresh ginger root peeled and cut brunoise.
-  2 big onions sliced and separated into rings.
-  30 gms of butter.
-  6 cups of water for the lentils
-  1 cup of water for the onions
-  2 Tbsp. brown sugar for the onions.
-  1/2 red chili very finely cut using kitchen scissors.
-  Double Cream or Yogurt.
Method: 
-  Boil 6 cups of water in a big sauce pan with cover, add the lentils.
-  Add the garlic, bay leaves, turmeric, chili and salt.
-  Bring to a boil, simmer till tender and there isn't much liquid.










 -  In the meantime boil the onion rings with the butter and the sugar on high heat till all the water evaporates and the onions start to caramelize.

Onions Boiling High Heat
With Butter And Sugar And Water
Caramelization Of the Onions
My Photo
-  When the lentils are done, purée them using the vertical hand held blender as in picture.


-  Heat the lentil purée.

Dressing the serving plate:

-  Ladle lentil purée to a soup plate,  disperse some of the caramelized onions but not in the centre.
-  Put some slices of the chili around for decoration and extra heat!! You can discard the chili if you wish.
-  Add some thick double cream in the middle as shown in the photo.



Bon Appétit,
Stelio

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