1 1/2 tsp.canola oil (Optional Onion and Oil Topping- Temper)
Instructions
Step 1 In a large saucepan over Medium heat, add water, lentils, onion, tomatoes,
garlic, salt, turmeric, and cayenne pepper.
Step 2 Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Step 3 In food processor or blender, place cooked lentil mixture and puree until
smooth.
Step 4 Pour into serving dish, add lemon juice and mix.
Step 5 In a small saute pan, over medium heat, fry sliced onions in oil until brown
if tempering.
Step 6 Garnish lentils with cilantro and fried onions and any remaining
oil if using.
Step 7 TIPS
1) In this recipe, the red lentils were pureed to reduce cooking time but you can also cook
the lentils longer to get the same smooth texture. You can also use a pressure cooker
which will reduce the cooking time and you can omit the step of pureeing lentils after
cooking.
Step 8 TIP 2) This is a tasty, quick and easy one pot recipe. Lentils are a good source of protein, fibre and do not raise blood sugar levels if you have prediabetes or diabetes. To increase
the fibre content, you can also use the whole black masoor dahl variety which contains
the husk.
Step 9 TIP 3) Many South Asian dishes call for a topping or temper (tarka) usually made with fried onions and/or spices to increase flavour. This can add a lot of fat to a dish as the
ingredients for the topping are usually fried in oil or butter. You can reduce the fat
in this recipe even further by omitting the tempering step.