Indian lentil stew - the dish that's not only big at New Year

A real crowd-pleaser, which is mainly served at New Year's... but what a pity that it is so rare: in Indian cuisine it is called dahl, in this country it is called stew.
You could say they are different but that would not be true, you could say they are the same but that would not be true either. They are both similarly vegetable-based (legume-based, to be precise), have a much thicker consistency than soup and a unique seasoning that makes them so lovable.

Today we look at the Indian version, which is less common in this country.

What makes it Indian?

Compared to the traditional lentil in India, the dahl that is the basis of Indian lentil soup is different from its domestic counterpart in that it is basically smaller-grained and darker in colour and does not fall apart during cooking, keeping its shape completely. The best lentil for Indian lentil stew is the urad dal type, which is best available in speciality delicatessens. The recipe itself can also be made with the traditional lentils of this country, not just this black lentil. The ingredients are an important base for the dish, but the way it is prepared is even more important for this dish, i.e. Indian lentil stew.

The essence of the process is the very slow cooking time. For this, most recipes recommend a thick-walled, straight iron pot that can keep the heat evenly distributed. If we want to draw a Hungarian parallel, we should mention the sólet, which has a similar texture and preparation method. The aim is to achieve a creamy consistency without cooking the lentils, which some versions of the recipe achieve by cooking them in the oven.

How to prepare it?

The ingredients are as follows:

25 dkg lentils (best type is urad dahl, kb egy napot áztatjuk főzés előtt)
1 fej vöröshagyma
4 gerezd fokhagyma
1 rúd fahéj
3 darab szegfűszeg
2 darab friss chili paprika
1 teáskanál só
40 dkg hámozott darabolt paradicsom
1 dl coconut milk
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 inch cardamom
1 bay leaf
freshly grated nutmeg
8 dl water
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Start the process by soaking the lentils, which can be done up to a day in advance.
As mentioned above, large, heavy pans made of iron are best for this dish, so if possible, prepare your dish in them.