Toor Dal and Spinach (Toor Palak Dal)

I used to make this simple but colorful and exotic dal curry every few weeks years ago when my repertoire of vegetarian recipes was far more limited than now. But I never minded. The creamy combination of warm, sweet and nutty toor dal cooked with tangy tomatoes, tart lemon juice and earthy spinach greens is as delicious as it is simple. Served over a bed of fresh hot cooked rice, or with some flatbreads, it is an easy and wonderful meal for any season.

I discovered a new craving for this tried and true dish recently, and decided to revisit it again. I found that it is just as delicious as ever. I guarantee that it will warm your spirits and earn the esteem of anyone you serve it to.

Toor dal — also known as toovar dal or split pigeon peas — has a mild sweet, earthy and nutty taste that goes very well with tart or tangy spicings, which is why it is a staple in south Indian kitchens. It also has a fuller texture when cooked than many other dals, making it perfect for sambars and dry-textured curries like this one. It is always easily found in any Indian or Asian grocer, and I always have a good supply on hand. You may substitute yellow split peas with lovely results as well.

Toor Dal and Spinach (Toor Palak Dal)

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking Cuisine: Indian Published on June 17, 2013 Zesty and tangy, this colorful dry-textured toor dal curry with chopped spinach is nourishing, delicious and simple to make Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup toor dal or yellow split peas 2 tablespoons ghee or oil 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds 1/4 teaspoon asafetida 1 large tomato, cut into 8 or 12 thin wedges 2 to 3 green chilies, seeded and chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1 bunch fresh spinach, trimmed and chopped juice of 1 lemon (3 tablespoons) 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste 1/2 teaspoon garam masala small handful of fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped Instructions: Rinse the toor dal or split peas and soak in several inches of warm water for 3 to 5 hours. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a large saucepan or wok and cover with 1 1/2 cups of fresh water. Add 1 tablespoon of the ghee or oil and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until the dal or split peas are tender but not falling apart. Drain and set aside. Wipe the saucepan or wok clean and add the remaining ghee or oil. Heat over medium heat. When hot, toss in the cumin seeds and fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until the cumin seeds turn brown. Toss in the asafetida, stir once, then immediately add the tomato, chilies, ground coriander, turmeric and cayenne. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach, cover, and cook for another 5 minutes. Pour in the dal or split peas, lower the heat to medium-low, and add the lemon juice, salt and garam masala. Cook for a few minutes longer until the mixture is fairly dry. Serve immediately, garnished with the chopped parsley or cilantro. Makes 4 to 6 servings

Also recommended from Lisa's Kitchen:
Tarka Dal
Toor Dal Soup
Toor Dal Pumpkin Soup
Toor Dal and Green Bean Poriyal

On the top of the reading stack: notes

Audio Accompaniment: morning silence

Mung Dal Kitcheree

A kitcheree is a traditional dish originating in North India that consists of legumes and rice and often vegetables. For those who enjoy Indian creations, this is a one-pot meal that won't take you long at all to prepare. Split mung beans are an especially easy legume to digest, making this a nourishing and restorative meal. I've always enjoyed the distinctive sweet and earthy aroma and flavor that these little gems impart to a dish. Here they are all nestled in with rice after simmered together with some spices and coconut milk.

To fill out the meal, serve with a vegetable side and some Indian savory flatbreads. I served it with butter paneer masala and a spicy potato and green bean salad.

Mung Dal Kitcheree

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on May 24, 2013 Simple, nourishing and delicious one-pot meal of sweet split mung beans and buttery rice with coconut milk and gentle Indian seasonings Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup split mung beans (mung dal) 1 cup basmati rice 1/4 cup ghee, unsalted butter or sesame oil 4 to 5 whole cloves 1 teaspoon turmeric 1/4 teaspoon asafetida 1 cup coconut milk 3 cups hot water 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste juice from 1 lemon (3 tablespoons) fresh cracked black pepper Instructions: Rinse the mung dal and rice under cold running water in a strainer. Heat the ghee, butter or oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the dal, rice and cloves to the pan and gently for 2 to 3 minutes. Now add the turmeric and asafetida and stir in the coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the lentils are tender. Quickly stir in the lemon juice, salt and pepper and let sit for 5 minutes, covered. Fluff with a fork, discard the cloves, and serve hot. Makes 4 to 6 servings

Other mung bean dishes you are sure to enjoy from my vegetarian kitchen:
Mung Bean Paneer
Mung Tamarind Dal
Indian Sour Mung Bean Soup
Indian Style Spicy Mung Beans (Moong Dal)

On the top of the reading stack: John Wyndham

Audio Accompaniment: Magnetik North

Mung Beans in a Golden Karhi Sauce

One of my favorite dishes from Yamuna Devi's gospel of Indian cooking, Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking is her tender chickpeas simmered in a golden karhi sauce. I've more than a few favorites from the book that often appear on my table, yet each and every time I browse through the 800 pages of culinary Indian bliss, I find yet another recipe that I can't believe I haven't tried … I have owned this treasured cookbook for about 20 years. Then there is the pleasure of revisiting some of my favorites from the book and tinkering with the recipes and my initial adaptations.

Truly, if I had to pick just one cookbook to keep out of my extensive collection, this would be that desert island choice. I'd hope for a truckload of legumes, grains and spices to go along with it and fresh produce from the isle. As I have noted in the past, this was my earliest introduction to Indian cooking shortly after I became a vegetarian. It opened up a whole new nourishing and exciting culinary world to me that I continue to cherish and explore.

This time around, earthy mung beans are simmered in a tangy yogurt sauce. This recipe called for sprouted mung beans, which I am sure would have been just perfect, but I didn't plan ahead — mung bean sprouts take 2 to 3 days of preparation — and so came up with a version using whole mung beans that I soaked overnight and then simmered until tender.

Karhis are yogurt based dishes that are usually served with rice. Often they contain cooked or sprouted legumes, sometimes dumplings and vegetables. This one is on the tangy side of the spectrum and I went with a thicker gravy that is popular in Northern India. Depending on the yogurt you use, a karhi sauce might be slightly sweet, thinner, with a consistency like a soup or a thick gravy. I experimented with the original recipe and came up with this treasured vegetarian main that I served with buttered Jasmine rice. You may want to consider serving up yellow lemon rice with fried cashews as a side for some extra flair and tart flavor.

Mung Beans in a Golden Karhi Sauce

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking Cuisine: Indian Published on May 17, 2013 Sweet and colorful mung beans simmered in a creamy, fragrant, spicy and tangy seasoned yogurt sauce Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 1/4 cup whole mung beans (3 1/2 cups cooked) 3 1/2 tablespoons chickpea flour (besan), sifted 1 cup coconut milk 1/2 cup water 2 cups whole fat yogurt, whisked 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, to taste 2 tablespoons ghee, butter or oil 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds 3 to 4 green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon asafetida 1 inch piece cinnamon stick generous handful of dried curry leaves 1/4 cup fresh parsley or cilantro fresh cracked black pepper to taste Instructions: Rinse the mung beans and soak in several inches of water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a large saucepan and cover with several inches of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover. and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes or until the beans are tender but not falling apart. Drain and set aside. Place the chickpea flour in a large bowl and slowly whisk in half of the coconut milk. Whisk in the remaining coconut milk, water, yogurt, salt, turmeric, ground coriander, fenugreek seeds, chili powder, paprika and cayenne. Pour this mixture into a large heavy-bottomed sauceapn, place over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Stir and simmer until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the cooked mung beans to the pan and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring often. Add more water if necessary to achieve your desired consistency. Heat the ghee, butter or oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When hot, toss in the cumin seeds, green chilies, asafetida, cinnamon stick and curry leaves, and stir for a minute or two or until the cumin seeds darken a few shades. Pour into the beans, quickly stir once, and cover. Let sit for 5 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick, stir in most of the fresh parsley or cilantro (reserving some for garnish). Serve hot or warm garnished with the remaining parsley or cilantro, with hot fresh cooked buttered rice and/or Indian flatbreads on the side. Makes 4 to 6 servings

More mung beans dishes you are sure to enjoy from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Indian-Style Spicy Mung Beans (Moong Dal)
Mung Bean Paneer
Spicy Mung Beans
Sour Mung Bean Soup

On the top of the reading stack: Chekhov

Audio Accompaniment: street noise

Spicy Yellow Lentil Tomato Soup

This vibrant and elegant soup is not only easy to make, but full of lovely and subtle flavors. It makes for a perfect nourishing light lunch or side for dinner. Sometimes there is nothing better than a comforting warm soup, especially during this chilly time when spring just doesn't want to shine. Yes, spring seems to be poking around the corner, and a few robins have been sighted, but it’s still mainly soup weather if you ask this chilled girl.

Serve with lemon cashew rice, chickpea koftas and some Indian flatbreads for a special meal.

This is my contribution to this month's No Croutons Required challenge hosted by my dear friend Jacqueline this time around. The theme this time is Indian spices and, well, that's easy for me as Indian cuisine is always on the menu at my house. I was going to challenge myself and come up with a salad, but this soup was so delicious and warming, I just had to share. Sharing also with Ricki's Wellness Weekend.

Spicy Yellow Lentil Soup

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on April 14, 2013 Simple, fragrant and flavorful yellow lentil soup with vibrant Indian seasonings Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup toor dal or yellow split peas 7 cups water 4 large plum tomatoes, finely chopped 1 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped 2 to 3 green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 2 teaspoons sea salt 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon chili powder or Kashmiri chili 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 tablespoon brown sugar or jaggery generous handful of dried curry leaves, crumbled handful of fresh parsley or coriander, chopped Tarka (tempering): 2 tablespoons oil 2 to 3 dried whole red chilies, broken into bits 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon asafetida Instructions: Wash the lentils well under warm water. Transfer to a large saucepan, pour in 7 cups of water, and let sit for 30 minutes as you assemble the other ingredients. Bring the lentils to a boil with the water, reduce the heat to medium, and cover. Simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and up to 2 cups more water if you want a thinner soup. Bring to a boil again, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for another 5 minutes. Purée some of the soup with an immersion blender or transfer some of the soup to a food processor or countertop blender, and then return the puréed portion to the saucepan. Stir in the ginger, chilies, salt, spices, sugar and curry leaves, and continue to simmer for another few minutes. For the tarka, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the chilies, cumin seeds and mustard seeds to the pan. Stir for 30 seconds or until the mustard seeds turn grey and begin to splutter and pop. Add the asafetida and quickly pour the contents of the pan into the soup. Stir once, cover, and remove the soup from the stove. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes to blend the flavors. This soup can be made ahead of time and gently reheated before serving. In fact, it even tastes better the next day once the flavors have had a chance to blend and dance together. Makes 6 to 8 servings

More delicious dal soups you are sure to enjoy from Lisa's Kitchen:
Dal Makhani (Black Gram and Kidney Bean Curry)
Mixed Lentil Indian Dal
Mung Tamarind Dal
Tarka Dal With Tomato and Spices
Urad Dal and Tomato Soup (Urad Tamatar Dal)

Black-Eyed Pea and Mung Bean Sambar

This recipe is my own creation, though I must give a nod to Vegan Richa for the idea of combining mung beans and black-eyed beans in what turned out to be a very earthy curry. It is not unusual for me to experiment with different combinations of legumes, and I am well acquainted with spicing up mixed dal dishes.

Your palate is in for a treat here with a lingering spiciness that intensifies on the back of the tongue with each spoonful. No hard hitting burst of heat with this meal, and there is a wee bit of tangy sweetness present mainly because of the inclusion of tamarind. This is a cleansing and refreshing sambar that makes for an easy yet completely satisfying meal when served with a tempering rice dish and/or Indian flatbread. Don't let the list of ingredients discourage you from giving this dish a try — I assure you that it really is a very straightforward and simple recipe that you may find especially appealing during busy times when you don't have a lot of time to cook but don't wish to sacrifice nutrition or flavor. Adjust the spicing according to your preferences and pantry offerings.

Black-Eyed Pea and Mung Bean Sambar

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on February 3, 2013 Simple, warm and nourishing spicy black-eyed pea and mung bean curry Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/2 cup dried mung beans (1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 14 oz can) 1/2 cup dried black-eyed peas (1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 14 oz can)   1 tablespoon ghee or oil 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds 1 black cardamon pod, crushed   1 small onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced or grated 2 to 3 fresh chilies, seeded and finely chopped 1 small carrot, diced Spices: 2 teaspoons ground coriander 1 1/2 teaspoons sambar powder or garam masala 1 1/2 teaspoons kashmiri chili powder or other chili powder 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon amchoor powder (optional) 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pinch of asafetida (optional) Other ingredients: 2 medium ripe tomatoes, finely chopped 1 tablespoon tamarind paste, seeds removed (optional) a few handfuls of dried curry leaves   2 1/2 cups water   sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste Instructions: Rinse the beans and black-eyed peas and soak for 8 hours or overnight covered in several inches of water. After soaking, drain and set aside. Heat the ghee or oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, toss in the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and cardamon pod, and stir for 30 seconds or until the mustard seeds turn grey and begin to splutter and pop. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, chilies and carrot to the pan. Stir for 5 to 8 minutes or until the onion is softened. Now add the spices, stir for 1 minutes, then add the tomatoes, tamarind if using, and curry leaves. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes to let the tomatoes reduce, then add the drained beans to the pan and pour in 2 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the mixture has thickened and the beans are very tender, adding up to 1/2 cup more water as needed. (If using canned beans, add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water and cook for 20 to 30 minutes.) Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot with with fresh cooked rice and / or your favorite Indian flatbread and a leafy green salad. Makes 4 to 6 servings

More black-eyed pea goodness from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Black-Eyed Peas with Fenugreek and Tomatoes
Turkish Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Pomegranate, Walnuts and Zahtar Dressing
Black-Eyed Peas with Roasted Squash
Black-Eyed Peas with Potatoes and Tamarind

On the top of the reading stack: Feeding the Hungry Ghost: Life, Faith, and What to Eat for Dinner - A Satisfying Diet for Unsatisfying Times by Ellen Kanner