You need to try vegan cauliflower dhal
There’s nothing quite like a tasty bowl of dhal as part of an Indian meal.
You don’t have to go to an Indian restaurant to enjoy this delicious dish, you can make your very own version at home.
We’ve tried many different types of dhal before when cooking Indian feasts but we have to admit that cauliflower dhal is now one of our favourites!
And at 136 calories per serving, this vegan dish seems even more attractive!
Meet Georgie, she’s Mandy’s cousin and when she sent us her very own Cauliflower dhal recipe, we knew that we had to try it.
And trust us, it didn’t disappoint!
This recipe is now a firm favourite amongst our Indian dishes.
You really should make time to try it!
What is dhal made of?
The main ingredient to dhal or dal, are lentils.
Split peas aren’t the same as lentils, split peas are, as the name suggest, peas that split and lentils are actually seeds that are found in a plant but they both belong to the legume family.
Different dahls use different lentils and they are slowly simmered in spiced water until the lentils have split and broken down.
What goes in cauliflower dal?
In this recipe, we use half a cauliflower, red lentils, coriander, ginger, chilli, turmeric, cumin seeds, olive oil and onions.
Is dhal a main course or a side dish?
This lentil dish is really flexible and can be both. It’s great as a side dish as part of an Indian meal or it can be a delicious main course.
Just eat it with rice or a tasty naan bread and it’s incredibly filling.
Is dhal served hot or cold?
Actually it can be served both hot and cold.
Daal can be put in the fridge and when it’s kept chilled it will last for around a week.
Ingenious ways of serving dhal
We’ve already mentioned that dhal is the perfect side dish for an Indian feast or main course served with rice.
It’s also fantastic served as a soup, imagine tucking into the soup and dunking a freshly made naan bread – yummy!
But why not consider serving dal in a wrap? The cauliflower with and the wonderful taste will make a very tasty wrap, ideal as a leftover for lunch the next day.
You could always serve it cold with a salad, not your usual way of serving, but doesn’t that sound great?
Is dahl difficult to make?
No it’s not, it’s actually a pretty easy recipe to make at home.
We’ll give the full recipe instructions below and ingredient quantities but here’s a summary of how to make it.
First you’ll want to wash the cauliflower and remove any of the cauliflower leaves and separate the cauliflower florets, so they are a good size.
Next you’ll place the cauliflower on a roasting tray along with some flavoursome cumin seeds and you roast them until they are a nice golden brown colour.
Then you take your red lentils and wash them, then put them in a pan along with turmeric and a splash of olive oil. You bring to the boil and let them simmer.
Meanwhile in heat sunflower oil in a large pan you add in cumin seeds, you finely chop your onions and then add the onion into the pan and add them.
Next you add in your ginger, using fresh root ginger is best.
Throw in some chilli’s and and some finely chopped coriander leaves and you have the making of a wonderful hearty comfort dish.
If you don’t have fresh coriander, you could use ground coriander but fresh is best and it’s always great to garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
Ok, I’m confused, how on earth do you spell daal?
Yes, your confusion is understandable, they are so many ways of spelling this popular Indian dish.
So we’ve included all the different spellings throughout this recipe post!
Recipe notes and tips
- If you’re out of turmeric, then take a look at our substitute for turmeric post full of helpful tips.
So how do I make this brilliant dish?
- Just follow our step by step instructions and you’ll make it easily.
If you are an international visitor to this site and you use cups, then just press the toggle button directly under the ingredient list and it’ll instantly convert for you.
We hope that you enjoy this recipe and we’d really love to hear your feedback, please leave a comment below.
CAULIFLOWER DHAL
Utensils
Ingredients
- ½ Large cauliflower
- 9 oz Orange lentils
- Fresh coriander
- 1 tbsp Fresh ginger
- ½ Green chilli
- 5 tsp Turmeric
- 2 tbsp Sunflower oil
- 4 tsp Cumin seeds
- Olive oil
- 2 Onions
Instructions
- First you'll need to prepare the cauliflower
- Heat some oil in a baking tray whilst you wash and floret the cauliflower.
- Once hot place cauliflower in tray sprinkle with cumin seeds and couple pinches of salt. Roast until golden brown on moderate heat
- Wash half bag of lentils put in pan with cold water start with 375ml, you can add a bit at a time if it needs more.
- Add two teaspoons of salt and four teaspoons of turmeric and a small splash of olive oil
- Don’t cover allow it to boil then simmer until the lentils lose their form and become combined
- Meanwhile heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil in frying pan once hot add 4 teaspoons of cumin seeds and let them pop (it’s very subtle) when you can smell them they’re done
- Finely chop the onions add to the oil not too hot gently soften
- Finely grate the ginger and stir in cook for 3 mins then finely chop chilli and remove seeds then add. Cook on low heat with lid
- Finely chop coriander and once lentils are ready add most of the bunch to them leaving a bit to garnish. Cook for 5mins
- Add the onion mix to the lentils. Cook low heat for 8mins
- Add roasted cauliflower and cook very low for 10mins
- Serve in bowl with coriander. Also nice with a swirl of vegan yogurt
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Please note that nutrient values are estimates only. Variations can occur due to product availability and manner of food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of origin, preparation, freshness of ingredients, and other factors.
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