Soft creamy lentils cooked with radish and spices make a deliciously warm bowl of daal. All this lentil soup has is cumin, turmeric and asafetida. Served over fluffy white rice this radish daal is comfort food at it’s best.

Radish Daal

Ingredients:

• 1-cup pigeon peas (toor daal) cooked until tender. This will yield about 3-4 cups of soft lentils in their water.
• 1 large daikon peeled and finely shredded -about 2 cups shredded daikon
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp asafetida powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• Salt
• Red chilies as many as you want
• Juice of 1 lemon
•  Fresh cilantro for garnish
• 2 tbsp ghee or 1 tbsp butter

Directions:

• In a large pot heat 2 tbsp oil. Add cumin seeds and toast in oil for a 3-5 seconds. Add asafetida powder and red chilies and toast in oil for 1-2 seconds. Immediately add shredded daikon. Add 1 tsp salt and mix-in. Cover the pot and cook radish for 5-10 minutes until it becomes tender.

• Next add turmeric powder, cumin powder and cooked lentils. Mix into the daikon and cook for additional 5 minutes to allow the radish to flavor the lentils.

• Add more water if the daal becomes too thick.

• After 5 minutes turn the stove off. Taste and adjust for salt.

• Add fresh chopped cilantro, lemon juice and a dollop of ghee or butter. Radish daal is ready..

• Serve radish daal over white rice or have as a warm bowl of lentil soup.