Top Chef Winner's Indian Daal
A Norwegian Top Chef's vegan red lentil daal. Our carnivorous street cred may never recover.
Notes
Recipe pillaged from Renee Fagerhøi, winner of the very first Top Chef Norway, via Godt.no. Translated from Norwegian and lightly heckled by NøffNøff BBQ.
Yes, this one is vegan. Also dairy-free and gluten-free. A BBQ crew posting a lentil recipe is a hit to our carnivorous street cred, and we have made our peace with it, because it is that good. Renee says it only gets better the longer it sits (almost), so make it a day ahead if you can.
Viking upgrade (optional, extremely not vegan): The Vikings were not famous vegans. If a longship had landed next to this pot, someone would have thrown in sausage. Grill or pan-fry 2–3 links (about ½ lb / 250 g) of spicy sausage, slice into coins, and pile them on top of each bowl. The daal stays vegan for the vegans at the table, and your street cred is partially restored.
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp canola (rapeseed) oil
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 1 tbsp (3 tsp) garam masala
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 cups (500 ml) vegetable stock
- 2 cans (14 oz / 400 g each) chopped tomatoes
- 1 can (13.5 oz / 400 ml) coconut milk
- Scant 1 cup (175 g) red lentils, rinsed well
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Salt, to taste
- Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, for serving
- Naan, for serving
- 1. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot (a big Dutch oven is perfect) over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring now and then, until soft and golden, about 8–10 minutes. Enjoy the sizzle. It is the only sizzle you are getting today.
- 2. Add the chili flakes, garam masala (NøffNøff version available), cumin, and turmeric and stir them into the onions for about a minute, until the kitchen smells like you know what you are doing.
- 3. Pour in the stock, tomatoes, coconut milk, and rinsed lentils. Bring to a boil, then cover, turn the heat down, and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring every so often so nothing sticks. Use this time to explain to the neighbors why it smells good but the smoker is cold.
- 4. Take the lid off for the last 5–10 minutes so the daal thickens. It is done when the lentils are completely soft and falling apart. Too thick? Add a splash of stock or water. Too thin? Give it a few more minutes. Lentils, like Vikings, are very forgiving.
- 5. Stir in the lemon juice, then taste and add salt until it makes you happy.
- 6. Top with fresh cilantro and serve with warm naan for scooping. If anyone asks where the meat is, point them to the Viking upgrade.