We rarely repeat recipes, so it’s amazing that this is the fourth time we’ve made Happy Herbivore’s Red Lentil Dal and Saag!! I asked the husband what he was craving for dinner during our run today and this was his answer>. It’s got a TON of flavorful spices in it. I’d love some more super-spice ethnic recipes to try if y’all have any recommendations.
As you can see, we’ve mixed up the combos and styles a lot:
And tonight’s! I think the only thing we’ve made consistently is the dal.
We had quite the production line on the stove tonight:
The rice portion was from a box – a Near East Rice Pilaf that I received as a sample from Quaker. It was a bit salty, so I’ll probably use less of the spice pack next time, but we both liked it overall. I should have also added some raisins like I did the last time we made the dal + saag!
This was the first time we pureed the spinach (I’m usually too lazy to clean the food processor), and I really liked the consistency!
And finally, the dal. Which was yummy as ever –
With a dollop of yogurt –
The husband made one of his peanut butter cereal surprises for dessert (he was still hungry, so he says!) and I had a few bites of it for taste purposes.
We’re having earlier dinners these days to accomodate his early morning schedule, so we were finished eating by 7! That leaves so much evening time to fill. I suppose I should be studying something….
I’d like to take a bath tonight to wind down the weekend. Good news is that I don’t have my first class tomorrow so I get to sleep in a bit later 🙂
Holy deliciousness!!
I have had that Red Lentil Dal on my list of to makes for forever! I have to give it a try soon. We’ve been having dinner earlier lately as well and I really like it! Its nice to have time after dinner to unwind! Enjoy sleeping in tomorrow- I’m jealous 😉
Oh wow, tasty!
I’m pretty sure that I would eat all of that pureed food in about 30 seconds!
Yeah, Lindsay’s dal is great. My husband loves it. The red lentil cauliflower curry from Veganomicon is really good too.
mmmmm, I’ll have to try that dal. i’ve recently discovered a big love of red lentils!
Ohhhh I’m so jealous!!!! I love Indian food!
I have never had dal or pureed spinach. New things to definitely add to my list!
Looks so good – I’m actually about to head out to an Indian restaurant for dinner!
Your timing is perfect–I had just been thinking that I needed a good dal recipe–thanks for sharing!
her chana masala is awesome as well!
What a great dinner! I really like your new stove – looks gorgeous!
We made the dal & saag once and weren’t huge fans but everyone else on the blogs seems to love it! Maybe I did something wrong?! Hmmm…maybe we’ll give it another try sometime!
Enjoy your later wake-up time! 🙂
I just made a really delicious dish from Get It Riped (a whole foods vegan cookbook) and it’s kind of weird that the first thing I thought while eating it was: “Whoa, this is something that Kath would eat!” — too much blog-reading this weekend for me! Anyway, it’s Coconut Cauliflower Chana — I can’t post the recipe publicly but I should e-mail it over to you since it’s soooo good!
looks yummy! a bath sounds like a great idea! probably because I’m freezing right now!
I will definitely have to try this. I have never attempted to make my own indian. Per your question, I actually just posted a recipe for Moroccan Vegetable Tagine. It is nice and spicy, with a hint of sweet. http://fitnessnyc.wordpress.com/2009/01/26/moroccan-vegetable-tagine/
Kath,
Looks so yummy! What would you rate the spice level at?
Val
its one of my favs too! the consistency of pureed spinach is the BEST!! my husband didn’t care for it very much though. to each their own!
Oh that pureed spinach looks like my green monster smoothies! haha. j/k. Ive never thought to puree it…did you like it better than eating it whole?
Angela
I’ve seen this recipe floating around the blogging world but haven’t tried it yet. Your post has convinced me.
I’m with you on the FP- I don’t use it often enough because I hate cleaning it.
I am a huuuuge fan of korma sauce. This recipe is pretty tasty: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Navratan-Korma/Detail.aspx
If you don’t want to use all of the veggies called for (and if you can’t find Indian paneer), it’s also excellent with chicken or tofu and can easily be lightened up by not using heavy cream.
Yum! I love indian food but am too intimidated to make it. Looks great 🙂
Yumm. I love dal! So spicy and so delicious!
oh, and I can’t remember if you have Veganomicon, but there is a recipe in there for Samosa Stuffed Baked potatoes, which are hella good 🙂
hey kath! what’s in the hubby’s PB surprise?
I guess I should buy the cookbook and make it since you guys love it so much!
It’s always a good thing when someone keeps making the same meal 🙂
How does your husband make his peanut butter cereal surprise? I have my own version that is soooo good, cures my sweet tooth every time
1 c Kashi no sugar puffs
2 Tbls PB
spash of milk
scoop the PB onto the cereal, heat in micro for 25 sec, put a splash of milk in bowl, stir, eat…….YUMMY!!!
Yummy the saag is my favorite, I make saag but with a slight variation I include a combination of spinach and mustard greens, add a real kick to tha saag! This combination with corn bread (called makkai ki roti) is very popular in India. Inspired by your lentil dal, I ran into my kitchen to cook some for dinner tonight!
I want to know too…what’s in the hubby’s pb surprise?! Sounds fantastic! 🙂
Kath,
Your photos are the best!
How did you start running? I can barely run a mile right now but I am trying to get more endurance for better overall health. Were you always a runner? Could you tell us about your running story sometime?
The saag looks phenomenal! I am excited for the day when I can own one!
I too am a night time cereal addict and always “hungry” for it! 🙂
Mmmm…Indian food. Love! I haven’t tried that dal, but looks good. As someone else mentioned, the Red Lentil Cauliflower Curry from Veganomicon is quite tasty.
If its a four-peat, I’ll definitely need to make that recipe one of these days!
I avoid using the food processor for the same reason =)
I’ve seen this recipe tried on other blogs and it always looks delicious. I’ll put it on my list.
hi kath,
if you are looking for more indian recipes, check out madhur jaffrey’s world vegetarian cookbook – there are a lot of spicy, but healthy dishes in there.
i also HIGHLY recommend claudia roden’s middle east cookbook (it’s got lemons on the cover). it’s obviously a different “kick” than indian food, but there are many spicy n.african dishes. it’s also just a great resource for middle east cooking from the levant, as well as a few iraqi, iranian, etc. recipes thrown in for variety.
she’s also got a great jewish cookbook that surveys ashenazi vs. sephardic cooking (the latter also have a lot of spice!)
p.s.: i’ll definitely be trying that dal recipe out soon…
Yummy dinner!
I WISH I could get a bath these day to warm me up…but living in a dorm makes it not exactly possible. I will just live vicariously through yours!
The dinner looks great. This recipe has been on my to-try list for a while, I just haven’t gotten over the hump of trying to make Indian food for the first time.
Heather ,
Please do email it!!
Val ,
Not very heat-spicy, but very flavorful-spicy.
Oh She Glows,
Yes, I loved the texture and to not have the big leaves dripping on my chin 🙂
PB Surprise,
It just a combo of cereal, nuts, PB and milk. But he has all different combos including chocolate chips and whipped cream.
Lori ,
I’ve really always liked running. I just go out there and keep putting one foot in front of the other. The big secret is you do not have to go fast!! Just keep moving. And it will get easier and easier the more you run.
K
That dal looks amazing! I’ll have to try it. I love that kind of food, spices can add so much flavor without all the fat. I made a lamb kabob recipe on my blog with a spice that I recently discovered called sumac. I think you should try it! It imparts a wonderful refreshing lemony flavor. And it’s all wrapped up in a warm pita. Yum!
-kristen
Kath–did you soak the lentils ahead of time or just use canned ones? I assume the yogurt in the center is greek yogurt?
Mmmm…your dinner looks delicious. I’ve been wanting to experiment with Indian cuisine at home, but haven’t had a clue where to start. I think I just found my answer! 🙂
Jasmine T,
You don’t have to soak lentils, so we didn;’t! They cook quickly.
Kath
I’ve also made the dal + saag combo 4 times (or is it 5?)
I usually have it with a piece of toasted whole wheat naan
another good one is vegan ‘butter’ paneer (or mutter paneer), which is made with tofu instead of paneer (adapted from: http://vegirecipes.blogspot.com/2007/10/mutter-paneer-butter-masala.html)
though you might not like that because of the onion paste involved (you could probably omit)
I tried making dal on Sunday and failed. Yours looks much better.