Lentil Dal with Garlic-and-Cumin-Infused Oil

Dal, the seasoned and often puréed lentil dish, is served with all traditional Indian meals. It's the either spooned over rice or used as sauce for dipping breads. You can also thin the dal with low-sodium chicken broth or low-fat yogurt to serve as a soup.

Yield: 5 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 1 1/4  cups  dried pink or yellow lentils
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground turmeric
• 4  cups  water
• 1  cup  chopped plum tomato
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 1  tablespoon  vegetable oil
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  cumin seeds
• 4  garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 1/3  cup  minced fresh cilantro, divided
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Place lentils and turmeric in a large saucepan; cover with 4 cups water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomato; cook for 5 minutes or until lentils are tender. Stir in salt; keep warm.

Heat the vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds and garlic; cook 2 minutes or until garlic is golden, stirring constantly. Stir in the red pepper, and remove from heat. Pour oil mixture over lentils, and stir in 2 tablespoons cilantro. Spoon the dal into individual bowls, and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and the lemon juice.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

202 (16% from fat)

Fat:

3.5g (sat 0.5g,mono 0.8g,poly 1.9g)

Protein:

14.1g

Carbohydrate:

30.6g

Fiber:

15.3g

Cholesterol:

0.0mg

Iron:

5.1mg

Sodium:

479mg

Calcium:

39mg