How to make Romy Gill's red lentil dhal with wild garlic
In the first of our new recipe columns with Indian chef Romy Gill, seasonal wild garlic takes centre stage to lift a classic, comforting dhal
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Dal, dhal or daal – whichever way you spell it, it does the same magic. It’s a standard vegetarian dish in any Indian cuisine and is a warming, comforting meal.
When I moved to the UK in 1994 there were so many new ingredients I came across that I was as fascinated as a child with a new toy.
I was so blown away with wild garlic it is now one of my favourite ingredients in spring.
So I started adding it to dhal, paratha, fish curries and, best of all, roast chicken that I’d marinated in chilli, wild garlic, fresh turmeric and coconut.
When I was out running one day in my hometown of Thornbury, I found a place in the nearby village of Rockhampton where garlic was growing in abundance.
I wanted to keep this find to myself and not tell anyone, but I couldn’t not share it. So now I’ve told everyone, I hope there’s still some left for me.
This dhal recipe is a real favourite of my daughters’, and it’s easy to make it in large batches and keep in the freezer too.
Red lentil dhal with wild garlic
Serves 4
150g red lentils
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp salt
1l cold water
40g ghee (or butter)
20g fresh ginger peeled and chopped
2/3 green chillies chopped
50g wild garlic washed and chopped roughly
1tsp garam masala
1tsp cumin seeds
1tsp tomato puree
Wash and drain the lentils. Add the lentils to a medium-sized saucepan with the water, turmeric and half the salt. Cook the lentils on medium heat for about 30 minutes and occasionally stir.
Next, heat a frying pan and once hot, add the ghee. Add cumin seeds and when sizzling add the chopped ginger and cook for a minute. Add the chopped green chillies and cook for another minute. Add the chopped garlic and the remaining salt.
Cook on a low heat for 1 minute. Add tomato puree and garam masala, mix well with the ingredients in the pan and cook for 2 minutes and leave it to rest.
Romy Gill’s restaurant is in Thornbury (Romyskitchen.co.uk). Follow her on instagram @romygill
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments