Cauliflower Dal & Forbidden Rice

Prep Time: 20 Mins

Cook Time: 40 Mins

Total Time: 60 Mins

Serves: 2-4

This dish is a cross between a dal and aloo gobhi. The roasted cauliflower tossed in cumin, ginger, and onion is such a nice complement to the buttery dal and forbidden rice that tastes even better than its name.        

Ingredients

Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets

2-3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 small yellow onion, diced

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger

1 teaspoon lime juice, plus more to taste

Salt to taste

Dal

1 cup masoor dal (red lentils), rinsed and sorted for debris

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon table salt

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons ghee or olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Pinch of Kashmiri chili powder

1 cup uncooked forbidden black rice, rinsed

Cilantro for garnish

Directions

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1. Combine the rice with 1 ¾ cups water and a pinch of salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit covered for 10 more minutes, or until ready to serve and fluff with a fork.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). On a large baking tray toss the cauliflower florets with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a generous sprinkle of salt. Cook for about 30 minutes, tossing halfway, until the edges are nicely browned.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the cumin seeds, stirring frequently until they turn a medium share of brown, about 1 minute. If they look like they are burning remove the pan from the heat to cool. Reduce the heat to medium, swirl in ¼ teaspoon of turmeric, and add the onion. Cook until translucent. Add the ginger and cook for another minute. Remove the pan from heat if the cauliflower is not yet done. Once the cauliflower is cooked, return the pan to the heat, add the cauliflower to the pan and mix to combine. Remove from heat, add the lime juice, and taste to see if more salt or lime juice is needed.

4. Add 1 cup of masoor dal, 3 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of turmeric, and ½ teaspoon table salt to a deep skillet or saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5-7 minutes until the lentils are cooked but not mushy. Remove from heat and cover for 5-10 minutes. Add the lime juice and taste to see if it needs more lime juice or salt.

5. Prepare the chhonk by warming up 2 tablespoons of ghee in a small saucepan over medium heat. When shimmering, add the cumin seeds. Remove from heat and add the red pepper flakes and a pinch of Kashmiri chili powder.

6. If you cooked the dal in a deep skillet. We will use this to plate, if you used a saucepan transfer to a large shallow bowl. Pour over the chhonk in a spiral, and top with spoonfuls of black rice, cauliflower, and cilantro. Whatever black rice or cauliflower you didn’t use to plate can simply be served on the side.  

• Storing Tips

  Leftovers keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. If the Dal is kept separately this can be frozen for up to 3 months.

• Nutrition

  Per 1 serving (3 total):

  Calories: 488

  Carbohydrates: 56g

  Protein: 18g

  Fat: 23g

  Saturated Fat: 5g

  Fiber: 20g

  Sugar: 8g