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Masala Dahl

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©



My friend Mahendra Motibhai - Patel from Fiji gave me some masala powder. The package is great and the spice mixture smells highly aromatic and fresh. I love Indian food, I tried to make up a few recipes with the Motibhai masala, and I was particularly pleased with this one:




Yes, dahl is usually a soup and the lentils are small, but I had some green organic lentils which I wanted to use, and I was looking for a thicker consistency.
I sautéed for 30 seconds half tsp of turmeric and half tsp of cumin seeds with a little rice bran oil. Then I added a finely chopped onion and one tbsp of masala powder. Then the lentils, which had been rinsed, and then soaked for 30 minutes. I covered with water and added a big hot whole chili. After 30 minutes I added a little salt to taste and, just because I felt like it, a tbsp of butter. It was perfect, warm, fragrant, and mildly hot.
Serve with basmati rice or naan bread for a main course.
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Comments

  1. quixote34December 13, 2010 at 6:24 AM

    How can I order some Motibhai Curry powder Masala? I bought some at the Fiji airport on a midnight stopover a few years ago, and I love it. I have not been able to find a website. Should I just send snail mail to the address on the pkg?
    babettesfeastAthotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. AlessandraDecember 14, 2010 at 2:48 PM

    Ciao,

    on the packet there is only a P.O. Box

    Motibhai
    P.O. Box 40, BA Fiji

    ReplyDelete

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