ZAC’S MUM’S DAHL

Zac’s mum’s coconut, cardamom and tamarind dahl.

“Growing up, Mum used to make amazing curries. I’m not sure if she wrote any of her recipes down before she passed away (I’ll have to ask Dad if he’s come across any), but two distinct features I remember with fondness were the tartness of tamarind, and the surprise flavour bombs of whole cardamom pods. The cardamom pods really hit you, especially when you chew on one unawares.

This dish is my take on Mum’s curries. I’ve mellowed it out a bit with coconut cream and cinnamon, which sooths you into thinking this is a nice mild curry… until the cardamom pod strikes.

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I enjoy cooking it up for people.”

You’ll have enough sauce for about 6-8 people, and it freezes really well.

Ingredients

• canola or any other veg oil
• 2 large brown onions, diced
• about 2 tsp each of salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic (or crushed if you like)
• 1 tbsp grated ginger (don’t worry about peeling it)
• 1 tbsp ground tumeric, or 2 tbsp grated fresh tumeric (same deal as the ginger, no need to peel)
• 1 tbsp ground cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp ground coriander seeds
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon, or 1 whole stick
• 12 whole cardamom pods, lightly squished using the side edge or heal of your knife
• 4 tbsp tamarind paste, or a good few chunks of fresh tamarind (the fresh stuff gives you a lovely texture)
• 400ml coconut cream (choose one that has the highest percentage of coconut in the ingredients list, and ideally no thickeners)
• 400g tinned tomatoes, or about the same in fresh tomatoes diced (personally I use tinned for this dish – the flavour profile doesn’t demand a fresh tomatoey flavour).
• about 750ml water (you’ll likely need to adjust this as you go, so just eyeball it)
• 1/2 cup each of mung beans, yellow split peas, and red lentils
• Optional extras to you liking, such as: rice, chopped root veg, pan seared chicken thigh, or seared chuck/blade beef which you can then cook in the curry sauce (give it at least 2 hours, ideally 3-4).

Method

1. Heat oil in a largish pot over medium heat.
2. Saute onions with salt and pepper for a bit until they’ve softened, then add all the spices. Stir it round over high heat for a while until it’s really aromatic.
3. Add everything else, bring to a boil, stir, pop on a lid, leave it for a bit – at least half an hour is good, but the longer the better. Stir it occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot, and add more water if it’s getting too thick. Don’t worry if it seems too wet – you can reduce the sauce later.
4. Add optional extras as you see fit, or keep leave it as is. I love this dish with potatoes, sweet potato, and tumeric spiced chicken thigh fillets.
5. When the sauce tastes fragrant and the flavours have come together, check the consistency. If gluggy, add more water. Reduce over high heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened and is slightly glossy. but not gluggy. This is key to a nicely finished curry. This is a forgiving dish, so play around here as much as you like.
6. Adjust seasoning as you see fit. You can add lemon too if you want it a bit tarter.
7. Serve as is or with any of your optional extras. If you’re feeling fancy, garnish it with fresh coriander and/or some shredded coconut.