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!

Thanks for the tip! I love lentils, but I don't eat them as often as I would like. Also, I really like Indian food, so I'll have to remember this recipe, especially when the cold weather hits.

Dal is quite amazing!

I'd always liked Indian food, but I had to opportunity to go for several months on business a couple of years ago. I discovered that I not only like Indian food... I LOVE IT.

Both fortunately and unfortunately I discovered one of my all-time favorite desserts there. Carrot Halwa. Oh, yes, there are carrots in it, but there's also a ton of sugar, butter and milk/cream.

One of the things I learned to appreciate while in India was the use of very aromatic spices. I still like using different spices in my meals to make them all the more satisfying. Usually if it's got the right amount of spice, I don't need to eat quite as much.

lovely- ah, Indian deserts are quite a downfall for me too! Learning about Indian cooking changed a lot of my view of food- first of all, everything is fresh and real, actual food. Definitely not something I'm used to. Secondly, I'm a huge sauce and condiment lover, but I never thought that I could fully replace those things until I discovered how amazing food is with the right mix of spices!