Mung Bean Dal
with Tamarind, Popped Sorghum, and Flatbread
Dal is an Indian dish, typically prepared with beans, lentils, and peas. We use mung beans, which cook down into a satisfying, creamy stew seasoned with coconut milk, tamarind, and turmeric. A topping of crunchy popped sorghum adds great texture. Finally, homemade gluten-free flatbread rounds out the dish, and serves as a vehicle to soak up the last bits of stew left at the bottom of your bowl!
INGREDIENTS
- ¾ cup dried mung beans
- 2 red or green chili peppers
- Garlic clove
- Shallot
- 1 lime
- Fresh cilantro
- 1 tbsp vegan butter
- ½ tsp whole yellow mustard seeds
- 2 tsp tamarind paste
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tbsp whole grain sorghum
- 1 cup gluten free flour
- 1 can coconut milk
- 2 tbsp olive oil*
- Salt and pepper*
- *Not Included
INSTRUCTIONS
Place the mung beans in a small saucepan with 2 cups cold water on high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer — undisturbed — until the mung beans are soft and begin to break down, about 30 to 35 minutes. If your mung beans are still al dente when the time is up, add 2 tbsp of water at a time, allowing them to simmer a bit longer.
Rinse the chili peppers. Thinly slice one pepper into rounds. Deseed and small dice the other. Mince the garlic. Peel and mince the shallot. Rinse and dry the lime and cilantro. Pick the cilantro leaves from the tough stems (tender stems are ok!). Discard the tough stems. Halve the lime. Cut one half into wedges and leave the other whole.
Heat the vegan butter in a small skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and shallot and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the diced chili pepper and the mustard seeds, letting them pop and sizzle for about 15 seconds. Reduce heat to low and add the tamarind paste and turmeric, stirring constantly, until the sweet, salty smell of the tamarind has cooked off and it’s reduced, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer the tamarind and turmeric tarka from the skillet to a small bowl. Wipe the skillet clean and put back over medium-high heat. When hot, add the sorghum and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook, shaking the pot often, until sorghum grains begin to pop (you’ll hear it!). Remove from heat when the pops start to slow down, about one every 10 seconds.
In a large bowl, mix flour with 1 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ cup plus 1 tbsp of warm water. Use your hands to mix the dough. Add water 1 tbsp at a time if your dough is dry, but don’t let it get sticky. Divide into 4 balls, and gently roll into ¼-inch thick rounds. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, cook on each side until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
When the mung beans are finished cooking, stir in the coconut milk and simmer until thickened and stew-like, about 5 minutes. Stir the tamarind tarka into the mung bean dal, taste, and season with salt. Squeeze in juice from half the lime and stir. Ladle into bowls and top with cilantro, chili slices, lime wedges, and popped sorghum. Serve with the naan bread.
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Red Lentil Coconut Dal with Tomato Chutney & Brown Basmati Rice
Risotto Milanese with Saffron Rice & Spring Vegetables
Sweet And Spicy Curry with Kashmiri Chile & Warm Chapati Bread
Grain Bowl Soup with Coriander Roasted Mushrooms & Dill
Creamy Pumpkin Rice Bowl with Roasted Broccolini & Balsamic Glaze
