Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Hello, Dal-lin!

Lemme just say, I LOVE Indian food!!! It was Indian food that inspired me to go vegetarian almost 15 years ago, and the spicy, hearty cuisine is still my very favorite food in the world. Last night, I made the Masoor Dal from The Vegan Table:

As much as I adore Indian food, can ya'll believe I've never had red lentils until now? I know, crazy, right? The dish is simply red lentils, onion, garlic, coriander, and cumin. Easy and so, so tasty. Red lentils are my new fave — they cook faster and taste better.

I ate my lentils with a batch of Puliogare Rice (or Tamarind Rice) with local squash and zucchini:

Puliogare rice sounds all fancy, but it's actually just brown rice mixed with a bit of this instant tangy, spicy rice seasoning powder I picked up at the Indian Bazaar store in Memphis:

And yea, I know squash and zucchini aren't exactly Indian food, but I had some local veggies that needed usin', and I felt like the rice could use a little color. Here's my whole satisfying plate:

By the way, if you missed yesterday's post, I'm hosting a MixMyGranola giveaway. Check out this post and leave a comment about your dream granola. I'll choose a random winner next Wednesday.

17 comments:

Mike K said...

I can't wait to start cooking with The Vegan Table - just picked it up today. You're right, Indian food is amazing - so much variety and great flavors...a great inspiration for going vegan.

nora said...

Indian food is my favorite too! I always forget how good it is until I have it and I'm like, "Oh, THAT'S why it's my fav!"

Melisser; the Urban Housewife said...

Ooh, I love to make Indian Food! Do you ever check out Manjula's Kitchen? It rules!

jessy said...

i'm so glad you finally tried red lentils! i love how fast they cook up, and how they seem to take on a little more flavor than their green counterparts. the dal looks super scrumptious, Bianca - and the puliogare rice is so pretty & sounds amazing! never had it before, and now i'm gonna have to make myself some! hoooooooooray for indian yummies! they're my favorite, too!

miss v said...

i think squash can totally be indian food - it's all about the spices!

T said...

That looks like fluffy perfect dahl.. such comfort food!

In the south especially, if there's nowhere to be found with vegan food you can always count on the local Indian place!

Anonymous said...

I actually like regular lentils better than red! I find red too mushy. But the dish you created looks amazing and I would eat that anyday!

Jen said...

i love dal. all kinds of dal. could eat it every day.

Anonymous said...

Indian cuisine is one of my favorites too. I get these crazy cravings for curry sometimes.

Peanut Butter Swirl said...

Indian is one of my favorite foods too :) I just all of the spices.
Your meal looks great!

Mary said...

I have been craving chana masala for a week, but I haven't gotten take-out because I have all kinds of csa veggies I have to use (including zucchini and summer squash). All this talk of Indian food may have put me over the edge.

Anonymous said...

You poor red lentil deprived thing! And I am shocked you have never had them if you are an Indian food lover especially...they are soooo good! I love Indian food--yours looks great! Dal is my absolute favorite...

Courtney

Anonymous said...

That looks SO good! I love how vegan eating is so simple yet tastes so amazing!

Emily said...

where's the Indian Bazaar?! i've never heard of it, but i want to go now...that dish looks soo good!! any good ideas on where to dine out in Memphis for Indian? i don't think i've had it in my four years here yet!!

Sal - AlienOnToast said...

ooh that dal looks amazing. thanks for reminding me my parents are taking me out for an indian meal tonight! YAY, i'm ordering some dal.

Cyn said...

Yum! I love red lentils and dal. Red lentils are my favorite lentils, I love how they get all smooshy and creamy.

Erin said...

I always think of Indian food as complicated for some reason, but this looks nice and easy and delicious.