Spiced red lentils with cucumber yogurt
Instructions:
- 1 cup split red lentils
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 bunch cilantro (31/2 cups), plus extra leaves to garnish
- 1 small onion, peeled
- 2 1/2 inches peeled fresh ginger
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 mild fresh green chile
- 1 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
- 4 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp sweet paprika
- 10 curry leaves
- 1 3/4 cups peeled chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp fenugreek (optional)
- pinch of asafetida (optional)
- salt
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup finely diced cucumber
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
- Wash the lentils under plenty of running cold water, then soak in the 11/2 cups of water for 30 minutes.
- Cut the cilantro bunch somewhere around its center to get a leafy top half and a stalk and root half. Chop up the leaves roughly; set aside. Place the stalk ends in a food processor bowl and add the onion, ginger, garlic and chile - all roughly broken. Pulse a few times to chop up everything without turning them into a paste.
- Put the mustard seeds in a heavy pot and set on medium heat. When they begin to pop, add the chopped onion mix and the sunflower oil. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes. Add the ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika and curry leaves, and continue cooking and stirring for 5 minutes.
- Next, add the lentils and their soaking water, the tomatoes, sugar, fenugreek, and asafetida, if using, and some salt. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are fully cooked.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the yogurt, cucumber, olive oil and some salt.
- Stir the butter, lime juice and chopped cilantro leaves into the lentils; taste and season generously with salt. Divide among bowls, spoon the yogurt on top and garnish with cilantro leaves.