Spicy Habibti: Recipe

Daal, or Lentils is a another favorite in India and Pakistan. Lentils are a part of the legume family. They are easy to make, and pretty cheap to buy. Since lentils are high in protein, they tend to be a favorite dish among vegetarians. Back before we had our daughter, and were poor young 20somethings, we would eat this almost every night for dinner. Honestly, I could eat this as often as I like and not get sick of it. It sure beats Kraft and Ramen!

Red Lentil Soup
Serves: 2-3 Prep: 5 minutes Cook time:~35-40 minutes

~1 cup Masoor dal (Red Lentils)
~1/4 teaspoon tumeric
~1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
~1/4 stick cinnamon
~1 teaspoon salt
~1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
~1 teaspoon cumin powder
~1/2 onion diced

~Fresh Cilantro, optional

1.) Place first seven ingredients, together in a medium saucepan.

2.) Fill the pot with water just 1-2 inches above the mixture. (Edit ~ 4cups of water)

3.) Bring the pot to a boil, and then decrease heat to a low simmer

4.) Cover & cook until the lentils are soft and tender, and have a porridge like consistency. This takes me about 35-40 minutes.

5.) Meanwhile, lightly brown the diced onions with oil, in a small pan.

6.) After lentils have cooked, add the cooked onions to the lentil soup. Cook for one-two minutes.

7.) Salt the lentil soup to taste and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with Basmati Rice.

Enjoy!

Aisha

Rice is a staple in any South Asian cuisine. It is cheap and versatile. The following recipe is a very basic rice recipe. It is easy to make, fragrant and most of all delicious. Later on, in this blog, I will show variations of this rice recipe.

Simple Basmati Rice
Serves: 2-3 Prep: 25 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes

~1 cup Basmati rice*
~1 small onion
~2 cups of warm water
~1/2 stick cinnamon
~3-4 whole cloves
~pinch of salt

*You can usually find basmati rice in your local grocery store, in the ethnic aisle. If not, be sure to visit your local Indian/Pakistani store.

1.) Wash the rice under cold water and than let it soak in a bowl of water, for about 20 minutes.

2.) While the rice is soaking, you can dice the onion and place into a lightly oiled pan. (I use a ~3 quart saute pan)

3.) After the rice is soaked, go ahead and lightly brown the onions on medium heat.

4.) After browning the onions, add the 2 cups of warm water. Also add the cinnamon, cloves and salt. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat.

5.) Once water has boiled, drain the rice from the bowl and add to the pan. Again bring the water to a boil. Boil for one minute. Immediately turn the heat down to a low simmer. Cover the pan.

6.) After 10-15 minutes, turn off the stove. Let rice stand for five minutes. Fluff the rice a bit, serve and enjoy.