Sweet & sour lentils Khatti meethi dal

Ingredients

300g (10½oz) masoor dal (split red lentils)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

900ml (1½ pints) water

1 tablespoon tamarind paste

1 tablespoon jaggery, grated

FOR THE TADKA

2 tablespoons ghee

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

10 fresh curry leaves

Directions

Put the lentils in a pan with the salt and turmeric, pour over the measured water and bring to the boil. Cover and cook over a low to medium heat for 10 minutes until the lentils are soft. Then stir in the tamarind and jaggery and cook for another minute.

To make the tadka, heat the ghee in a small pan over a medium to low heat and add the mustard seeds. Once they start to sizzle, add the curry leaves.

Pour the tadka over the cooked lentils and then serve.

Notes

Sour tamarind and sweet jaggery are a very popular traditional pairing in Indian cooking, in chutneys as well as curries and other dishes. Combining the two ingredients in this dal makes it utterly delicious. Enjoy it as a bowl of soup or serve with some piping hot rice. It’s also great with Coconut Okra Sabji.