Red Lentil Dal! – Food!

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 onions, halved and thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, nely chopped

2 tablespoons nely chopped fresh

ginger

2 small fresh red chiles, thinly sliced

1 quart stock or broth

One 14-ounce can unsweetened

coconut milk

2 cups red lentils, picked over (13

ounces)

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

stems, plus chopped leaves for

garnish

Step 1 In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil. Add the cumin, fennel and turmeric

and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until

fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the remaining 2

tablespoons of coconut oil and the onions and cook,

stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 7 minutes.

Add the garlic, ginger and half of the sliced chiles and

cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Spoon half of the spiced

onion mixture into a small bowl and reserve.

Step 2 Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, red

lentils and cilantro stems to the saucepan and bring to

a simmer. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring

occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 20

minutes. Add the kale and cook until tender, about 5

minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt

and pepper.

Step 3 Spoon the dal into bowls. Top with the

reserved onion mixture and the remaining sliced

chiles. Garnish with chopped

cilantro and serve with lemon wedges.