Indian Dal with Almond Butter (Recipe)

Posted on : July 26th, 2018

Indian Dal with Almond ButterLast night I rediscovered my love for Dal, an Indian staple food made from lentils or other legumes. It’s kind of like a soup although I often just ladle it over some rice and dig in! What I like about it is the comforting nutritious quality of the dish. You can make it as spicy or non-spicy as you wish, add meat or tofu, and mix and match it with any number of other dishes. Traditional Dal usually includes tumeric or curry powder. I also LOVE it with a dollop of almond butter and mango or pineapple chutney.

The Dal recipe I found to share with you by Chef Todd Humphries for the Almond Board of California surprisingly does not include the normal hot curry spices! His version, though, sounds so inspirational with cardamom, cinnamon and cloves combined with tomato, chicken broth, cream and almond butter, I couldn’t resist. He also adds hot buttered almonds as a garnish for an extra special treat!

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. plus 2 Tbsp. butter

1 c. roasted almonds

Salt

1 c. green lentils

2 whole cloves

1 small cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

2 cardamom pods

1 small red onion, diced

4 or 5 cloves garlic, minced

1 ripe tomato, roughly chopped

1 qt. chicken or vegetable broth

2 Tbsp. heavy cream

2 Tbsp. smooth almond butter

PREPARATION:

  1. Start by making butter-toasted almonds. Melt 1 c. of the butter in a large saucepan. Then add the almonds and stir until they’re a light golden brown. Remove from the heat and strain the almonds through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl. That way you can save the butter for other recipes.
  2. Spread the almonds on paper towels to absorb the excess butter. Then pulse them lightly in a food processor until they’re chunky. Salt to taste. Set aside.
  3. Wash and soak the lentils in water to cover, for at least 20 minutes.
  4. Melt the remaining 2 Tbsp. butter in a saucepan. Stir in the cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, and cardamom pods.
  5. Add the onions and sauté over medium-high heat until lightly golden.
  6. Stir in the garlic and sauté until it is fragrant, about 1 minute.
  7. Stir in the tomatoes and cook until softened.
  8. Drain the lentils and stir them into the onion mixture. Pour in the broth and bring it to a simmer. Cover and cook until the lentils are tender.
  9. Stir in the cream and almond butter to finish.
  10. To serve, garnish the lentils with some of the butter-toasted almonds.

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