Indian Lentil Soup (Masoor Dal)

Chicken noodle soup, Indian style.

I loves me a good dal (aka "dahl", aka "daal" aka "Indian lentil") soup. It's nourishing and healthy, low in fat, high in protein, heartwarming and the perfect antidote to a cold winter (though usually eaten in the hottest climates of India). Eating dal soup in Indian restaurants, it never occurred to me I could hope to make something similar at home. That's why I bought a pressure cooker, and got down to the business of making dal. I've made quite a few different recipes now, and have impressed a few folk who think mine is better than what they had at the restaurant. In some cases, it probably is. (Though I never make the same recipe twice).

All that depends on how much effort and quality ingredients goes into it, and how it's cooked. Sometimes my dal lacks flavor, while other times it's too hot. That would be because the curry mix I used is too hot (but if I used less, the soup would lack flavor). So you have to learn to get the balance right. I almost always use a pressure cooker to make dal, because it's so very convenient. And fast. With it, it's possible to get a dal done in 30 minutes to an hour, start to finish, and all in one pot. I almost don't know how to make it in a regular pot, but I know you can. You could even get better results if you use a conventional pot, and have a lot of patience. Because the longer and slower you simmer the dal soup, the better it gets. (But beware: once it thickens, it'll get to a point where it starts sputtering and splashing hot lentil sauce all over your kitchen and yourself, if the pot is uncovered. If it's covered, you can't stir it and the lentil mash will eventually stick to the bottom, leaving brown/black bits in your soup, when you stir and scrape it up).

Indian rock bands often
stipulated "no brown lentils"
in their contract.

Below is just a simple starter recipe, not requiring a lot of Indian spices. It's not particularly authentic, it's just to get the party started. It's one of a million ways to make dal. Dal (or "Dahl) can refer to either a soup, or something more the consistency of a pudding, and served on a plate. I usually prefer my dal a bit on the thin side, and will add water to achieve this texture. Water can also be used if you've made it too hot, or salty. This recipe uses red lentils, but if desired, other Indian lentils can be used, if that's what you have. (Mung lentil is thought the best).

Tools: A hand blender, blender or food processer is pretty much essential to making a dal soup that has the right texture (puréed). Otherwise it will be more like an Indian vegetable soup. You might need to get some Indian spices, if you don't keep these in your cupboard, if you plan on making various recipes. Good curry powder would be a start. If you can find anything at your Indian grocer that says "MDH" on the box, you're definitely off to a good start. There are other good mixes, and remember that what you choose will greatly influence the taste of your soup.

Mild Option: If you prefer less heat in your curry, omit the red pepper flakes and either use what you know is a very mild curry spice mix, or make your own. Here's one recipe... Mild Curry Mix: 2 T ground cumin, 2 T ground coriander, 2 t ground turmeric, 1/2 t mustard seed, 1/2 t ground ginger. Process the spices in a coffee grinder to a fine powder, store remaining in a spice jar. (Alternative: Substitute mustard powder for mustard seed, and mix with a fork).



Ingredients

2 1/3 (to 2 3/8) cup lentils (whole or split, red/yellow/green or mixed)
2 teaspoons salt
2 med. potatoes (or 3-4 small), sweet or regular, peeled and diced
2 T vegetable oil
1 medium (or 2-3 small) onion
1 bell pepper , chopped
2 carrots , minced
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, fresh, grated or minced
1 T (to 1 heaping T) curry powder
1 T garam masala spice mix
1/2 can tomato paste (optional)
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional: omit if you prefer less heat)
1 T lemon juice, or to taste

Instructions

Wash the lentils very well, rinsing several times over with cold water until the water remains clear, when you stir the lentils in the rinse bowl. Place a large soup pot (or pressure cooker) on medium heat, add a couple of tablespoons of good oil (ie. olive oil). Add the chopped onions, stir and fry until soft. Then add the chopped garlic, ginger, and curry mix. Cook, stirring, a minute or two. Add the potatoes, cook, stirring a minute or two. Add the bell pepper, carrots, stir fry a minute or two. Add the tomato paste, garam masala mix, red pepper flakes (if using), salt and 8 cups of water.

Boil on high, reduce to medium-low, cover and cook til lentils are very soft, about 20m. (n.b. If using a pressure cooker, close the cover, boil on high, reduce to low when the cooker is up to pressure. Cook for 15 minutes. Make sure pressure is completely reduced before opening lid. As always, remember to follow the directions for your pressure cooker). Use a hand blender in the pot (off the heat), or add the soup in batches to a blender or food processor, and blend lentils to thicken up and puree the soup. Add the lemon juice before serving, garnish with fresh coriander if desired.

"When you think you've got a hold of it all
You haven't got a hold at all...."

"Get The Balance Right"
: Depeche Mode

Costa Rican Beans and Rice (Gallo Pinto Huevos)

The weight watcher's platter at "Costa Rican Joe's".

For a brief period of time last year, I took a bit of a dip in the waters of Latin American cuisine. More specifically, the food of Costa Rica, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. Even more specifically, red beans and rice. I appreciated the simple, rustic, less-is-more appeal of this "peasant food". It isn't loaded with 101 spices and herbs (e.g. they like to keep their rice white, and separate from the beans). It is unpretentious and honest, but nevertheless, delish. I have now made a place for Latin America in my kitchen repertoire. I like the idea of centering a meal around beans, as it is a heart smart, healthy food. Less so the way I prepared it, with a fried hamburger and egg (see pic). That's not how I typically eat today, but many Brazilians do eat such meals daily. I guess if you're healthy enough and hunger for a "comfort food" dish (with meat), it would be okay to serve it this way, on occasion. Otherwise, stick to beans and rice, and a nice salad with fresh tomatoes.

I feature here an ingredient I found in a local Latin American grocer; "Triguisar". It's a powdered seasoning made from cumin, corn starch, rice starch, pepper, salt, garlic, annato, curcuma, coloring, etc. It's been a staple in some parts of Colombia for over 50 years. It is typically used for soups, stews and marinades for chicken, but may be used with beans and lentils. It may not be that easy to find in your area, so I listed most of the ingredients if you wish to try to approximate it (but it won't be the same). The closest commercial seasoning, one that is also more readily available, would be "Sazon Goya con Azafran". Note that both these products contain coloring agents, so they're not highly commendable. Of course, you can just use your own latin or mexican spices or spice mix, or not employ any seasoning in your beans. (Which would make for very dull beans...).

Ingredients

1 cup dried red, or kidney, or navy or pinto beans (or 2 cans of beans)
1 cup uncooked rice
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 small red chile pepper seeded and chopped (opt)
olive oil
1 bay leaf
1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 T Triguisar (or alternative, see notes)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

RICE: Rinse rice until water is clear, and let drain in sieve during the rest of the cooking process, so that the rice becomes dry, and the grains more separate once cooked. Once dry, sauté half a large onion in a pan or pot in olive oil on med. until just barely browned, add the drained rice and cook for one or two minutes, stirring to prevent sticking. Season with salt (optionally adding a bit of garlic powder or instead, garlic salt, leaving the rice white!). Add water to cover the rice by about 1/4", and let it boil until the water evaporates into the rice. Then reduce heat to low, and cover pan. When the grains on top are just cooked al denté (about 12-15 min.), rice is ready.


BEANS: If using dried beans, you can prepare them by soaking 8+hrs, then cook til just soft, according to the type of bean. A faster method would be to soften/cook them in a pressure cooker. (Fill pressure cooker with water to fill line, turn heat on high and boil water uncovered, turn heat off and place in dried beans along with a bit of vegetable oil. Leave sitting for 15-20 minutes, turn heat back on high to get pressure up and pressure cook on low heat for 35-40 minutes; drain, rinse). If using canned beans, you're ready to go.

VEGETABLES: In a med. size sauce pot (preferably cast iron) on med. low heat, sauté the other half of a large onion and garlic in olive oil (chili pepper as well, if you prefer) til transparent but not browned. To this, add the softened/cooked beans, and some of the water it was soaking/cooking in, barely enough to cover. Add Triguisar (or similar seasoning), salt, coarse black pepper, bay leaf, and optionally, tomato paste or ketchup. Cover the pot, cook simmering on low, stirring occasionally, while the sauce thickens. Once the bean sauce is thick and creamy (about 15 minutes), the beans are ready.

Serve with salad or, if going for broke, serve the beans and rice with a fried hamburger or steak, and a single fried egg with pepper, along with some green salad.


"Red beans and rice from kitchen windows
It's suppertime and the barrio is dark".

- Paul Simon

"I Was Born In Puerto Rico"
Songs From The Capeman

No Fuss Risotto with Artichoke

Macaroni and cheese, Italian style.

Many kitchen cooks might stay away from risotto, because of the tediousness of being a slave to the pot. Stirring it constantly during cooking, and babying it some more with the repeated addition of stock. What if I told you there was an easier method, where you do no stirring, no slaving, no babying? The catch is, you need a pressure cooker. Now we've opened another can of worms, the crowd who are afraid of pressure cookers. And if you're basing that on an old Presto cooker, I can understand why. Quality pressure cookers of recent vintage are safe, as they have built-in safety features to release steam in the event of a meltdown (though they may differ in the type of safety release they use).

I have two pressure cookers (both made by Lagostina), which in fact use different methods of releasing steam in the event of overpressurization (One, a non-jiggling valve release with a backup safety valve, pictured left. The other, uses a more common rubber gasket method, on right). That still doesn't mean you should fall asleep or pop over to your neighbor's while using a pressure cooker. (In fact, I strongly recommend the use of a timer that you will hear without fail, to let you know when to turn the heat down from high to low, which is crucial). Used responsibly, the pressure cooker can be a very useful device in the kitchen. Particularly in today's kitchen, where it can reduce cooking times by a fraction. In addition, more vitamins and minerals are retained, and vegetables keep their natural color because they are not exposed to oxygen during cooking. Plus, it can do magic tricks like the following, where you cook a risotto without touching it....


Ingredients

1 cup arborio rice
1 quantity of dried herbs (e.g. basil, thyme, oregano or italian herb seasoning)
1 jar artichoke hearts in oil, chopped (retain oil)
1 T chicken bouillon powder (or stock, if ya wanna get fancy)
1/4 teaspoon saffron (American, or the good stuff)
2 1/4 cups water


Instructions

Rinse arborio rice. Pour some oil from jar into pressure cooker pot, enough to cover bottom of pot. On med-low, saute the rice grains. Add herbs and saffron, sauté a bit more. Add the artichokes, stir. Add 2 1/4c water and 1 full T(ablespoon) of chicken bouillon powder, stir (or 2 1/4c of chicken stock, if you have that). Replace the cover on the pressure cooker. Heat to high, and once the valve is raised (or steam is being released, depending on your model), turn the heat to low. Set timer for 10m. Once done, bring the cooker over to the sink and run cold water over the lid, or slowly release the lid lever, and release the steam, if possible (depending on your model's release method). Rice should be perfect. Season with pepper if desired.