Black dal was one of the first Indian dishes my husband, Tejas, taught me. It is a little richer and spicier than the other dals we make. A popular dish is Dal Makhani which has cream, but I skipped the cream. I did realized that what I thought was black dal from Trader Joe’s probably isn’t black dal, but it is still prepared in a black dal style 🙂

2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon cumin
2 medium onions sliced
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 inch ginger diced
1/2 box of Pomi ChoppedTomatoes (or a can of diced tomatoes)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons tumeric
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 package Trader Joe’s lentils (or 1-2 cups pressure cooked black dal)
Salt
2 teaspoons sugar
Water
Squeeze of lime
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1. Heat oil in a pretty big sauce pan.
2. Add cumin until it browns a little.
3. Add onions and cook until they get slightly soft.
4. Add garlic and ginger and cook all until the onions are browned and the garlic is soft.
5. Add tomatoes and powdered spices.
6. Add dal, salt, sugar, and water and cook down for a while.
7. Add a squeeze of lime, stir and top with a little chopped cilantro.