This recipe is a melting pot of my North and South Indian heritage. Brown lentils make me nostalgic for my paternal grandmother’s cooking because her recipe for whole masoor dal was one of my first food memories. Along with the dal, she combined sautéed onions and ginger with warming North Indian spices, including her signature garam masala, which I would eat with steaming hot basmati rice and her homemade yogurt.
In my version of the recipe, I am bringing in the creamy factor with coconut milk instead of yogurt. Coconut is an ingredient that plays a central role in the South Indian cooking my mother would prepare for me growing up. To add more coconut flavor and texture to the recipe, I top it off with some dried grated coconut. The recipe can be served as a soup or over rice.
brown lentils (whole masoor dal)
neutral, high smoke point oil, such as sunflower
cumin seeds
finely chopped red onion
Kosher salt
cloves garlic, finely chopped
peeled grated ginger
ground coriander
ground turmeric
Indian chili powder or cayenne pepper
water
(15-oz.) can full-fat coconut milk
to 1/2 tsp. garam masala, depending on intensity
fresh lemon juice
Cooked rice, naan, flatbread, chopped fresh cilantro, dried grated coconut, and/or roasted garlic or tomato achaar (such as Brooklyn Delhi), for serving (optional)
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