And now some words on substitutions:

1. If you prefer a gluten-free diet, or if you just think making flatbread sounds like it's too involved for your nightly routine, just make a pot of rice while you put the lentils on to cook. Add 1c brown rice, 2.25c water, bring to a boil, stir once, reduce the heat, cover and let simmer 40 minutes. You'll want to start the rice just before you start the lentils.

2. If you don't like the spices I listed here, or if you can't find them, you can use different ones. For a Mexican flavor, switch the Thai chilis for jalapenos. Instead of *alll* the spices listed, just use coriander, cayenne, and about twice as much powdered cumin. (You might still want to add turmeric so the color is prettier.)

3. Not a lentil fan? Any other bean can be used, you just have to plan ahead and let them soak in twice as much water as beans overnight, and allow a little longer time in cooking so they'll get soft. You could also use a pressure cooker.

4. Somebody hates vegetarians? When I make this for my family, my dad always makes me add cubed ham at the same time as the onion step. I think that's a little weird, but chicken could be good. You could even skip the beans, shred chicken, add a bit of water, and use the same spice mixture to make a chicken entree.

5. Vegan? Oil instead of butter/ghee.

Trivia: "Daal" means "pulse" or "legume" in Hindi and Punjabi. "Masoor" means "lentil." less

And now some words on substitutions:

1. If you prefer a gluten-free diet, or if you just think making flatbread sounds like it's too involved for your nightly routine, just make a pot of rice while you put the lentils on to cook. Add 1c brown rice, 2.25c water, bring to a boil, stir once, reduce the heat, cover and let simmer 40 minutes. You'll want to start the rice just before you start the lentils.

2. If you don't like the spices I listed here, or if you can't find them, you can use different ones. For a Mexican flavor, switch the Thai chilis for jalapenos. Instead of *alll* the spices listed, just use coriander, cayenne, and about twice as much powdered cumin. (You might still want to add turmeric so the color is prettier.)

3. Not a lentil fan? Any other bean can be used, you just have to plan ahead and let them soak in twice as much water as beans overnight, and allow a little longer time in cooking so they'll get soft. You could also use a pressure cooker.

4. Somebody hates vegetarians? When I make this for my family, my dad always makes me add cubed ham at the same time as the onion step. I think that's a little weird, but chicken could be good. You could even skip the beans, shred chicken, add a bit of water, and use the same spice mixture to make a chicken entree.

5. Vegan? Oil instead of butter/ghee.

Trivia: "Daal" means "pulse" or "legume" in Hindi and Punjabi. "Masoor" means "lentil." less

All right! Put your 1 cup of lentils and 3 cups of water on the stove at high heat. Let them come to a boil, stir once, and reduce the heat to a simmer.

(This will take just under 20 minutes total, and during those 20 minutes you'll be making chapatis. But I'll give you a sneak preview of the next step for the lentils, so you'll be ready when they are!)



Once the lentils are all soft, and just a little bit of water remains (thicker than a soup, but thinner than a paste), turn off the heat. Add your sweet acid (tamarind juice if you have it, lemon juice if you don't) to brighten the flavor. Set this pot on the back burner (no heat) while you get everything else ready.


Trivia: Lentils may have been one of the first agricultural crops---there is evidence it was cultivated more than 8,500 years ago! It originated in the Near East and spread to the Mediterranean, Asia, and Europe quickly, but it didn't show its face in the United States til the early 1900s. less