My husband loves the roti canai or roti pratha which is usually eaten with the dhal curry. However, the roti canai seller usually gives the curry sauce void of any vegetables. But my husband loves having lots of vegetable in his curry. He influenced me to learn to cook it as he considered it to be a non-spicy nutritious curry. And I have to put lots of vegetables in it. However, I do not use the vegetables normally used by the Indian restaurants. My cooking of the Dhal Curry is versatile; I add whatever vegetable that I like to the basic curry sauce.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup whole lentils or dhal, washed and soaked overnight
- 6 cups water
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 4 shallots, chopped
- 1 big onion, diced
- 2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- 3 pieces star anise
- 3 pieces cinnamon sticks (3 inches each)
- 6 pieces dried chilies, soaked
- 1 piece ginger (2 inches), pounded
- 6 sprigs curry leaves
- 4 pieces kaffir lime leaves
- 3 pieces tamarind slices
- 1 brinjal (6 inches), quartered lengthwise and cut into smaller pieces
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 carrot, cubed
- 1 potato, cubed
- 1 red capsicum, cut into small squares
- 1 yellow capsicum, cut into small squares
- Cooking oil
- Salt to taste
Method:
- Heat up 3 tablespoons of oil in a pot.
- Saute garlic, shallots, onion, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, star anise, cinnamon sticks, dried chilies, ginger and curry leaves till fragrant.
- Pour water into the pot.
- Add dhal and the rest of the ingredients.
- Add salt (according to taste).
- Let the curry boil so that the dhal and other ingredients soften and turn mushy. (Stir often to prevent the ingredients from sticking to the base of the pot.)
- Serve with roti canai or rice.