Dal with Green Onion and Carrot over Rice

I bought dal the other day at the grocery store because I was curious.  I was even more curious about what to do with it.   

So I experimented.

And here are the results:

This is quick, easy, healthy, vegetarian, and extremely flavorful.

Dal with Green Onion and Carrot over Rice

Serves 4-6

Approximately 5 cups water

1 cup dal, rinsed

1 cup rice, not rinsed

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic

7-8 baby carrots, sliced

2 green onions

1/2 cup white wine

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or table salt

1 tablespoon margarine

Rinse 1 cup dal and cover with water in saucepan.  (About three cups).  Bring to a boil.  Start cooking rice.  Use more than double the amount of water per cup of rice.  I used 2 1/4 cups of water per 1 cup rice.

While the two pots are heating up, chop your garlic and slice the carrots and green onions.  The dal smells unique as it's cooking, reminiscent of seaweed or moss after a rain.

Add the garlic right away.  Add the carrots after about 5 more minutes of cooking , when it's been simmering for a bit and has created a broth.  After about 15 minutes, the dal starts to thicken and get chewy.  Watch it though, and make sure the heat is low enough that the pot doesn't go dry.  Make sure there's enough water for gentle simmering on low the entire time. Add the wine and salt.  

You can serve the rice and dal mixed together, or separate.  Add wedges of tomato or whole dates for a complete, high-protein, scrumptious meal.  The dal has a nutty flavor suggestive of wild rice.

Enjoy!