Lentil Dal

Anthony and I used to eat lentil dal all the time, but recently we realized that it had been quite a while since I made it.  What with all the chard I have growing in my garden, it seemed like a good use of a current in-season vegetable.

The recipe is quite easy, but very flavorful.

1.5 c. lentils

2 lbs. fresh spinach, chard, or kale, chopped and steamed (or 1 pkg. frozen spinach)

2 onions, diced

4 Tbs. minced garlic

1 Tbs. cinnamon

1 Tbs. cumin

1 Tbs. ginger powder

1 Tbs. coriander seeds

3 Tbs. Olive oil

Cook the lentils until soft, then drain off any excess water.  Meanwhile, sauté the onions, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, and coriander in olive oil until the onions are soft.  Mix in the lentils and spinach (or other greens), season with salt to taste, and serve with pita bread or naan.

If you look closely, you'll see some little pieces of zucchini in this picture.  That is because we have lots of zucchini too, so I'm pretty much adding it into everything we eat!  In this case, it turned out to be a nice addition.