Indian Dahl Lentils

I have been going to Costco and they have the Madras Lentils sometimes as a sample. I really liked the taste with the spices that are in it. Since it is kind of pricey for a box, I wanted to see if I could make it. I looked online and saw several recipes for it. I first found out it was an Indian dish then found out you use red lentils. Then one day I was going through my Joy of Cooking cookbook and saw the recipe. I was excited since everything I have made from this cookbook has turned out great. I decided to make the recipe today.

The recipe stated to use only 1 cup of lentils but I bought a 16 oz bag which was about 2 1/2 cups, I decided to use all of it. I had to also adjust the rest of the ingredients to account for more lentils being cooked. Also, I added an extra Indian spice blend that I made myself, Garam Masala. I saw a recipe for dahl that also used this so I decided to add this to my dish to give more kick. This is a blend of spices such as cloves, nutmeg, corriander, black pepper, cumin, and other indian spices. Another thing I noticed from the Joy of Cooking recipe versus others I found online is that the Joy of Cooking recipe says to add lentils then add the water and spices while other recipes online says to cook lentils first then in another pot first stir in the onions and spices then the tomatoes to get the aroma coming out, then you add the cooked lentils and water. I also did not account that tumeric would turn my red lentils into a bright yellow color. I was trying to get a brown like color similar to the Madras lentils. The ending result was tasty but reminded me more of a curry flavor than the madras lentils I tasted at Costco. Don't get me wrong, the final dish I made was flavorful and tasty but not the taste I was trying to go for. I will have to try to make this dish again one day with less tumeric. Recipe adapted from Joy of Cooking Cookbook with some added spices.


Indian Dahl Lentils Recipe
Ingredients:
1- 16oz bag of red lentils
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons tumeric
1 tablespoon garam masala
salt
1 medium sized onion sliced
1 medium sized tomato chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 cups water

Directions:

The ingredients: sliced onions, chopped tomatoes, minced ginger

Lentil after a quick soak in water

1. Wash red lentils and pick over. Put in a bowl.

2. Heat a dutch oven or a heavy stock pot, add lentils and stir to cook. Add onions, tomatoes, ginger, spices, salt, and water. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes until lentils are tender and soup has thickened a bit.

Final Dahl lentils, put too much tumeric so it turned yellow instead of the
brown color that is from the Madris lentils brand. It still tasted delicious.

3. add more water to desire consistency. also add more salt and/or spices to taste. Serve hot. If desired, add a dollop of yogurt.

FREE Magnum Ice cream bars

I got a coupon from FoodBuzz tastemaker program to try the new ice cream bar brand Magnum. These are ice cream bars with vanilla bean ice cream coated with a Belgian chocolate shell. These have been popping up at all my local supermarkets and retail stores. The box comes with 3 bars and usually cost around $3.99. I decided to get the double caramel flavor. This flavor consist of silky vanilla bean ice cream enrobed in a luscious chocolatey coating, rich caramel sauce, and thick Belgian milk chocolate. It looks like they took a vanilla ice cream bar that is coated with chocolate then spread caramel sauce then put as top layer a Belgian chocolate coating. The bar was a bit too sweet for my taste. Also the caramel sauce in the middle was a bit thick due to it being in freezer. (maybe if I let it sit out for a minute or 2 it would be more smoother and less thick).

Not sure if I would actually by the bars since it is quite expensive for a box with only 3 bars. But I am glad that I got a chance to try the product. Always good to try new things to see if you like it or not. Glad I got the chance to try these.

Pickled Jalapenos

I was making nachos today and wanted to put jalapenos on it but we only had fresh ones. I know fresh is always better but for nachos I liked using the pickled jalapenos you buy at the store. It just makes nachos more authentic. So I thought can't I just make pickled jalapenos myself? Since I made pickles (I was so easy, see my other previous post). I went online to see what I needed to use to make pickled jalapenos. It is very similar to making pickles but the recipe I found uses bay leaves. You first cut your jalapenos into 1/4" rounds (you can leave whole if you like), then steep the pickling mixture on the stove for 5 minutes then place in a glass jar with the sliced jalapenos. The recipe I used says to wait one week. I already see the jalapenos changing into the dark green color like the store bought ones. I am excited to try them. If these taste just like the store bought I will soon be making my homemade pickled jalapenos for all my nacho and Mexican dishes or to just spice up any dish. Recipe below.

Pickled Jalapeños
Adapted from Michael Symon’s Live to Cook by Michael Symon and Michael Ruhlman.

Ingredients:
1 pound (450g) fresh jalapeno peppers, washed and sliced into 1/4" rounds (see Note)
2 1/2 cups (625ml) water
2 1/2 cups (625ml) vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar)
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons coarse salt, such as kosher
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons black peppercorns

Directions:
1. Cut each jalapeno into 1/4" round slices (take out some of the seeds and veins, to make less spicy) with a sharp paring knife and place them in a large glass preserving jar.

2. In a non-reactive saucepan, bring the other ingredients to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes.

3. Remove from heat and pour the brine over the peppers. Place the lid on the jar and let cool. Once cool, refrigerate for at least a week before using, if possible. (You can use them sooner, but Michael says they’re worth the wait.)

Serve with Mexican dishes, or remove the seeds then chop and use to season any recipe that is improved by a little bit of sweet heat.

Storage: I’ve kept pickles like this for up to a few weeks, under refrigeration, without any problems. But like anything preserved, you should take precautions.

Note: You can use another chile pepper in place of the jalpeños.