The anarchist cookbook: red lentil dal
Submitted by the button on Nov 16 2006
I just posted this on some thread or other, and thought I'd save it here for posterity. Maybe the first in a regular feature. 
Red lentil dal
8oz of red lentils, rinsed, then add 1½ pints of water. Add a teaspoon of salt. And 4 cardamom seeds, if you've got them. Bring to the boil, put the lid on & simmer for 30 mins.
Then, in another pan: -
Heat up 4 tablespoons of vegetable or groundnut oil. Turn the heat down, or it will spit like fuck.
Add 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds & 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds.
When the mustard seeds start to pop, add 4 cloves of garlic, finely sliced.
When the garlic is nice & brown, add 5oz of tomato (i.e. one big tomato, or thereabouts), finely chopped, 2 teaspoons of turmeric, one teaspoon of garam masala, and one teaspoon of dried chili flakes. NB: - When you add the tomatoes to the garlic, it looks like the garlic is burning. Don't worry about this.
Stir constantly for 2-3 minutes, until the tomato has gone pulpy.
Add your lentils (which should be nice & mushy by now) to the spicy mixture, put the lid on & simmer for 5-10 minutes. If you have fresh coriander, stir in a chopped handful around now.
If you want it thinner, use 6oz lentils with the same amount of water. Any more than 8oz lentils and it's too thick & might stick to the pan.
Lovely
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Nov 17 2006
#2
The reason I asked you for Martin's number the other night was to tell him his book on food should be called this. 
Nov 17 2006
#3
.... and your book on the state of the contemporary libertarian movement in Britain should be called The Anarchist Cockbook, presumably.
Nov 17 2006
#4
...Thanks, now I've got to go write an entire book. 
Nov 22 2006
#5
I made this last night and it was great. I didn't use as much water as you suggested though - i cant handle it that soupy! Also I added salt
Nov 22 2006
#6
Good man for adding the salt, because I forgot to put that in the recipe. A teaspoon in with the lentils .
I also forgot to say that you can add 4 cardamom pods to the lentils while they're simmering on their own, if you like.
Nov 22 2006
#7
This blog entry is now on the front page of a google search for "anarchist cookbook" if you specify 'pages from the UK.' Good work, comrades. 
Nov 22 2006
#8
what happens if i type loads of things like pipe bomb, improvised gun, ricin, anthrax, fertiliser etc?
Nov 22 2006
#9
for a random admin probably
Apr 14 2008
#10
Red lentil has a lot of beneficial effects for our organism and health. It's also an important part of any vegetarian's diet. II tried to do a soup out of it with no cooking book in front of me and I think I boiled it too much. So taste it and when it's not hard anymore you should stop cooking it or else it breaks up into little pieces and you get some sauce out of it. It has a very good taste once cooked.
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Regular feature it should be!