A recent trip to Mumbai revealed to me a new world Columbus couldn't have even imagined. Graced by a traditional Indian wedding in the street outside my hotel, and the hospitality of my colleagues, I experienced the energy, aspirations - and incredible flavors - of one of the largest, busiest metropolises on earth.
Dal with Whole Beans
I have been making this dish for a while before visiting Mumbai, adding the kidney beans to give the dal a bit more substance as a main course dish. In India I was happy to see (and taste!) several dal variations which had whole beans in them. You could use many other beans as well - say pinto or pink bean - to achieve a similar effect. I used curry leaves which my Indian host gave me to season the flavoring oil. You can find them in Indian grocers, but they are not absolutely necessary for this dish.
2 carrots, diced
1 onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
½ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp cayenne powder
½ cup (whole or split – but skinned) red lentils
3 cups water
1 small piece cinnamon
1 star anise
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp. Garam Masala
4 cloves garlic, minced
½-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 can light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Sesame seeds
In a pressure cooker pot, sauté the carrot, onion and jalapeno in a bit of canola oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the first group of ingredients, raise heat, cover pressure cooker and bring to pressure. Cook 3 minutes and remove from heat. Meanwhile, cook the seeds and masalas in the canola oil in a small pot or pan until fragrant – 3-4 minutes, and then add the garlic and ginger. Continue cooking until the garlic and ginger soften, about another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Carefully de-pressurize pressure cooker and uncover. Add the kidney beans and cook another 10 minutes or so, to meld flavors. Remove the cinnamon and star anise, salt to taste, and adjust thickness with water if necessary. Serve over rice. Top with sesame seeds.
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