Too Much Dal

I'm deep into spring cleaning. Serious spring cleaning, where you not only throw open the windows and scrub and mop and clean windows, but where you dig deep in the back of closets, open the boxes piled in the attic and basement and sort through the junk drawers and catchall bins. And much to Jack's consternation, the agenda includes adding a fresh coat of paint on ceilings, walls and woodwork as we move from room to room. You'd think I'd've done this before hosting my family last summer for our son and daughter-in-law's wedding but better late than never.

I haven't tackled the basement pantry shelves yet. That's Jack's domain because he's the one who gets sent down for a box of pasta or a can of tomatoes or a steamer pot, so he organizes it his own way. This morning, though, as I was passing through, I noticed a large Tupperware tub of ingredients for Indian food. The colors caught my eye and I brought the container up to the kitchen to inventory. In addition to curry powder, garam masala, and a collection of other spices, there were four kinds of dal: chana, masoor, split urad with skins and moong. I've made various kinds of soupy dal using all of them, but it's spring and warm out and isn't there something else I can make with them besides a spicy hot dish?

Turns out there is. I've got a hefty tome by Yamuna Devi called The Art of Vegetarian Indian Cooking, the subcontinent version of Julia Child's opus. On page 573 (of 800 pages) there's something called Dal Munchies or Moong Dalmot. It looked like a perfect change of pace.

Fried Dal

Sort through 1 cup of moong dal and wash in several changes of water until it is clear. Drain, then soak in 4 cups of water and 1 tsp. baking soda for 8 hours or overnight. Rinse, then drain, then pat dry with paper towels and air-dry for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in wok or deep fryer until moderately hot (365 degrees.) Fry 1/4-1/2 cup of dal at a time in a wire mesh strainer just until it floats to the surface. It cooks really fast, so don't overdo it. Drain on paper towels and season with plain salt or any kind of seasoned salt. I used a salt with coriander in it, although you couldn't really taste it. I might try smoked salt next time.

 This is a super-crunchy snack, and you can make it as salty or not as you like. I'm a sucker for salty snacks and with this I can delude myself that it's good for me because it's protein! It was a big hit with drinks before dinner.Be forewarned, though: don't make it if your teeth aren't firmly attached.

Still with the flu

Believe it or not I'm still not over the lingering flu, and because of that, tonight's beans will be the comfort food I crave when I'm sick -- simple Indian dal. For this I'm relying on my personal cooking goddess, Anna Thomas, author of The Vegetarian Epicure Books One and Two, The New Vegetarian Epicure, and the newer Love Soup.

I became vegetarian sometime in 1976 and struggled with how to cook without meat for a few years. I had some fairly radical input from friends who were macrobiotic, and experimented with unusual ingredients that were hard to find at the time. What I found challenging was putting food on the table that was both meatless and hearty without being overly dairy-laden. I was raised on meat and potatoes and I wasn't ready to live a life of salads.

Enter Anna Thomas, who proved that meatless cooking can be hearty and flavorful.. Many of her foods taste like they might be heirloom dishes handed down through generations, largely because she honors her Polish heritage even as she explores other cuisines. Book Two includes a chapter of Indian recipes and I admit they were the first Indian foods I ever ate. I think I made every one of those recipes, then went on to learn some more authentic Indian cooking, but the simple Dal on page 310 became an instant household favorite. During college I would make a batch and take it to school for lunch. Through the years it's been my go-to easy comfort food, especially when a head cold or upper respiratory infection calls for something spicy and sinus-clearing that doesn't require slaving over a hot stove all day. 

The rice accompaniment on page 311 is another Anna Thomas favorite, Plain Pilaf. It's an easy, fragrant rice flavored with green peas, almonds, cardamon, cinnamon and raisins. Together, the rice and lentils constitute a vegetarian meal we categorize in this house as "brown and lumpy," but it's so delicious and comforting that we don't care what it looks like.

Thanks, Anna Thomas!