Harbans Dosanjh's Dahl

Done correctly, simple dahl (stewed and curried beans, normally served with either rice or chapatti) is one of the most economical and popular dishes on the planet. This recipe is from chef Harbans Dosanjh of UVic's International Grill, as printed in the Monday Magazine. If only they printed the recipe for the mint chutney, too!

Preparing good dahl is easy, Dosanjh maintains, so long as you pay careful attentive to what you’re doing. “When I’m cooking, I put my mind and soul into it.” In terms of method, she plays up the importance of rinsing the beans in advance (which cuts down on some of the, uh, breezy after-effects of bean consumption). She also uses the tarka method, where a spiced oil mixture is prepared separately from the beans then added at the very end.

Harbans Dosanjh’s Dahl
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 cup yellow split peas
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 knob of ginger, diced (about one square inch)
• 1 tsp crushed dried chiles
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp paprika

Soak lentils and split peas in warm water for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse them then add them to a thick-bottomed pot with 6 ½ cups of water, the salt and turmeric. Bring this mixture to a boil then simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes (until the beans have become soft).

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions, garlic and ginger together for 5-10 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the crushed chiles, chili powder and paprika to the onions and continue to fry for 30 seconds longer while stirring. Add the onion mixture to the beans with a pinch of garam masala, stir well, and you’re ready to go.