Cook the Book | Dahl From ‘Parwana: Recipes and Stories From An Afghan Kitchen’
Dahl is one of my favorite comfort foods. Not only is it easy and comes together without that much preparation, but it’s also a nutritious and warming vegetarian dish. When it comes to cooking, I am a firm believer that anyone can be a good cook, you just have to master different types of techniques. I was excited to learn a new method in the new cookbook, Parwana: Recipes and Stories From An Afghan Kitchen written by Durkhanai Ayubi—you can read my interview with her here—about how to cook this dish the Afghan way. In this method, the recipe calls for the lentils to be boiled two different times, resulting in the creamiest consistency. Another tip I learned from this vibrant book? Soak your rice for up to two hours, you will be blown away by just how quick it cooks and how fluffy it tastes.
An Excerpt From the Book: “Common throughout Afghanistan and across the subcontinent, dahl is on easy dish to vary—be it in the type of lentils, the spices, or the amount of chili used. We serve dahl at Parwana, and this recipe uses red split lentils for a soft and creamy texture, perfect to eat alongside challaw or a palaw rice dish, or simply with some naan flatbread.”
Photography by Alison Engstrom
Dahl
Recipe from Parwana: Recipes and Stories from an Afghan Kitchen, courtesy of Interlink books
2 cups (14½ oz / 410 g) red split lentils
½ cup (125 mL) sunflower oil
2 yellow onions, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 moderately hot fresh red chili, thinly sliced
4 large tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon chaar masalah
Chopped fresh cilantro, to serve
Salt
Add the lentils and 6 cups (1.5 liters) water to a pot, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the lentils are softened. Drain in a colander, discarding the water, and set aside in the pot.
In a separate pot, heat the oil over high heat and fry the onions for 5 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Add the garlic and chili and fry for a further 2 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the spices and 1 tablespoon salt and cook for a further 2 minutes, or until fragrant.
Add the lentils and 4¼ cups (1 liter) water to the pot and bring to a boil. Cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the dahl has thickened and absorbed all the flavors in the sauce. To serve, ladle the dahl into a serving bowl and garnish with fresh cilantro.
