Someone posted about going out for Indian food the other day, which got me thinking a lot about this dish I discovered when I was in India this spring. It's called dal (sometimes spelled dhal or dal) and it's a lentil eaten as a thick soup.
My favorite is the tiny, yellow dal called moong dal. Take a look at the nutrition facts below- it's massively high in protein and fiber and very low in calories. Today, I made more than I could comfortable eat (and thus I'm uncomfortably full, haha
) and it was only 300 calories! The best thing is, because of all of the fiber and protein, it leaves you feeling satisfied for a very, very long time. In India, it's actually given to people as a fiber supplement, for weight loss, and to cure lower belly problems.
http://caloriecount.about.com/calori...ng-dal-i185500
I grew hopelessly addicted to this stuff before I even knew how good it is for you. It's delicious, amazingly filling, and about as easy to make as macaroni and cheese. Dal itself is kind of a blank canvas, if you will, and can be seasoned in so many ways! I prefer ingredients like onions, garlic, cilantro, tumeric, cumin, tomatoes, hot peppers- but a little imagination and this dish could become whatever you want from it.
You can boil dal on the stove, but it takes literally three minutes in a pressure cooker (to the first "puff"). I just take a tiny bit of evo oil and mix the veggies and spices until aromatic, then dump it into the dal and mix!
If you're in a good sized city, you can find it at an Indian grocery (we have like half a dozen in Columbus, so they're out there!), or you can often find some version of it in the international foods section of a decent sized normal grocery store.
I LOOOVE it and I hope you try it!