Active Time

　　10 minutes

　　Total Time

　　50 minutes

　　Often the dhal served at a Sadhya is very plain, but I happen to like interesting dhals, like this recipe. Here I use small orange lentils (called "red" in stores) because they cook down into a creamy texture. I enrich it with coconut milk, and finish it with cilantro, lemon, and whole toasted seeds. This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings (as part of a large meal)

　　1 cup masoor dal (small orange, a.k.a. "red," lentils)

　　3 cups water

　　1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

　　2 tablespoons vegetable oil

　　1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds

　　1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

　　1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

　　1/2 cup well-stirred canned unsweetened coconut milk

　　1/4 cup chopped cilantro

　　2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　

Step 1

Bring lentils and 3 cups water to a boil with turmeric in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, then gently simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until falling apart, about 20 minutes.

　　

Step 2

When lentils are cooked, heat oil in a small heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then cook mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and red pepper flakes until mustard seeds begin to pop and/or turn gray and cumin seeds brown, about 1 minute. Stir spice mixture into lentils with coconut milk, cilantro, lemon juice, and salt and bring to a simmer.

　　Cooks' Notes:

　　•Indian ingredients can be mail-ordered from Kalustyans.com.

　　•Lentils, without spice oil, coconut milk, cilantro, and lemon juice, can be made 1 day ahead. Reheat and add remaining ingredients before serving.