Rick Stein’s Black Dal

‘Dal was the first vegetarian dish that made me realise I could live without meat. It’s not just the flavour of the dal itself, but also the interesting mix of spices and the essential finish of shredded ginger and chopped coriander with a lick of ghee – though I’m perfectly happy to use butter at home instead.’

Hands-on time 20min, plus overnight soaking. Cooking time 2¼hr. Serves 6 350g (12oz) whole urid (black) dal/urid beans 2tsp mild chilli powder 50ml (2fl oz) mustard oil or vegetable oil 3 Indian bay leaves, optional – do not substitute with regular bay 6.5cm (2½in) piece cinnamon stick 1 red onion, chopped 300g (11oz) tomatoes, roughly chopped 1½tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground 1½tsp ground turmeric 1½tsp ground coriander 1½tsp garam masala ¼tsp asafoetida, optional 25g (1oz) ghee or butter 4cm (1½in) piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely shredded Handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped

1 Wash the dal in plenty of cold water, then cover with fresh water by 4cm (1½in) and leave to soak overnight.

2 The next day, put the dal and their soaking water into a large pan with the chilli powder and 2tsp mustard/ vegetable oil. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan with a lid and cook over a low heat for 1½-2hr, topping up with a little water when needed, until the dal are completely tender.

3 Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add bay leaves, if using, and cinnamon stick and fry for 1min until fragrant, then add onion and fry for 10min until golden. Stir in tomatoes, spices and 2tsp salt, and simmer for 10min until reduced slightly.

4 Add tomato mixture to the cooked dal and simmer for 15min. Stir in the ghee/butter, garnish with the shredded ginger and chopped coriander and serve with Indian breads or rice. PER SERVING 331cals, 13g protein, 11g fat (3g saturates), 40g carbs (4g total sugars), 10g fibre