How to Make South Asian Garlic and Cumin Lentils Asian Cooking Recipe Cuisine

South Asia Garlic and Cumin Lentils

This recipe was taken from centuries old cooking techniques and when possible applied modern cooking methods and/or ingredients.  It uses Asian cooking styles, Asian Spices, Asian Sauces and Asian Ingredients.  The style of cooking may have a slight alteration while still maintaining the dish's overall purpose.  In this blog we touch on recipes that may be predominant for the Chinese Cuisines.  We will also share recipes based upon country, or regions such as: Burma, Cambodia, Indian, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet and Vietnam.  Some cuisines are considered South Asian, South East Asian, Central Asian and/or Middle Eastern and may not be strictly connected to a specific country or culture.

Recipe makes for 4 Servings

1 cup dried red lentils (masoor dhal)

2/3 cup chicken stock or water

1/2 tsp peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil

2 tsp toasted cumin seeds

1 medium onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 fresh long green chili, seeded and thinly sliced

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint


Directions:

Place lentils in a sieve and wash under cold running water. Pick over and remove any foreign matter. Soak in water for a minimum of 1 hour. Drain well and place in a dish that will fit in a bamboo steamer or steamer basket. Add stock, ginger, coriander and stir well. Place bowl in steamer.

Partially fill a wok or pot with water (steamer should not touch water) and bring to a rapid simmer. Place steamer over water, cover and steam until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes.

In a medium pan, heat ghee and cook cumin seeds, onion, garlic and chili until onion browns, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in mint and half of onion mixture into lentils. 

Spread remaining onion mixture on top for garnish. Serve as a dip or side dish with crispy fried pappadams. 


*Lentils can be cooked for less time to retain shape and used in salads or as a vegetable. 

Find Local Asian Markets

For the adventurous palate, a great side dish that compliments this recipe is Jaew Bong.  Discover more about Jaew Bong, check out www.jaewbong.com.

Enjoy..

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