Red Lentil Dhal
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Pinch of ground chile powder or cayenne, more to taste
- 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup diced tomatoes and their juices (either canned or fresh)
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced (optional)
- 1 cup dried red lentils
- Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste
1. Using the saute function, heat olive oil. When hot, stir in the onion and saute until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, cumin, salt, turmeric, black pepper, and chili powder and cook until fragrant, another 2 minutes.
2. Add the stock, tomatoes, lentils, and carrot if you like. Cover and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the rest of the pressure manually.
3. Stir in the lemon. Add more lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
Notes: I have also tried this with yellow split peas. They turn out a lot less thick. If using yellow split peas, consider adding some potatoes or other vegetables to make it more of a chunky soup. Alternatively you could reduce the water a bit.
I have also tried adding some coconut milk, and replacing the cumin with garam masala. All good.
Source: Dinner in an Instant