Turmeric Urad Dal with Charred Onions & Green Beans
This comforting urad dal is infused with fragrant turmeric and served with charred onions and crisp green beans, offering a nutritious and flavorful vegetarian option. It’s a perfect dish to warm you up on chilly evenings.
Yield: All recipes serve 2 people
Chef Notes: black lentils are also called beluga lentils. If you can’t find these, any lentil that will stay intact during cooking would work, such as French green lentils de puy or Italian brown lentils.
Components
Turmeric Dal
Chhonk
Charred Onions
Blanched Green Beans
Your favorite Flatbread or Naan
Mise
Prepare The Chhonk: In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the ghee/oil. Toast the cumin seed in the oil until fragrant. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chile powder and cayenne. Set aside.
Prepare The Green Beans: Trim, blanch and shock▸ the green beans.
Char The Onion: slice the onion. Heat a large skillet over high heat until smoking. Add a dollop of oil followed immediately by the onions. Distribute the onions across the surface of the skillet and allow them to char undisturbed for 3-4 minutes. Stir and repeat the process until the onions are charred and softened.
Make The Dal: Rinse the dal. Cover in 2 ¼ C water and a large pinch of salt and turmeric. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the lentils have absorbed the liquid and have softened 15-25 minutes depending on the lentils. Remove the dal from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of lime juice. Taste and add more salt or lime to your liking.
Finish
To Finish: Warm the flatbread and green beans in the oven or on the stove. Plate a scoop of warm dal in the center of a plate. Top with the charred onions and a few spoons of the chhonk seasoning. Serve with green beans and flatbread on the side!!