curried apple & lentil dal

Yesterday the weather took a little turn towards autumn. Figures, since I’m just about over my cold. At least the foggy mornings and cooler temperatures make it so much easier to think about stews and soups and warm bowls of curry. Looking through my cupboard the other day, I had a mason jar filled with red lentils. Their colour is so warm and inviting and it seemed like the perfect thing to make for a quick dinner. I also had that bag of organic MacIntosh apples, so I decided to use a couple of those as well. Curry was on my mind and it’s nice to have a bit of sweet along with the heat.

I made a dal, which in India refers to any lentil or legume, but it can also mean any soup or stew using a legume. Since red lentils are really quick to prepare, I knew that this dinner would be ready in under 30 minutes. I like my curry spicy, so I used a spicy garam masala paste (my favorite is made by Patak), but any curry paste or powder will do. Just remember to taste as you go along and use a little at a time because you don’t want your dal to be too hot! We served this with brown rice, steamed broccoli and a spoonful of mango chutney. A spoonful of yogurt would be lovely on this too, especially if you find your curry a little too spicy.

25 comments to “curried apple & lentil dal”

  1. 1
    The Overworked Barista   September 19, 2008 at 11:26 am

    So what is french ginger?

  2. 2
    kickpleat   September 19, 2008 at 11:37 am

    barista, that would be fresh ginger. oops!

  3. 3
    Bijoux   September 19, 2008 at 11:48 am

    I have a bag of inviting red lentils in my cupboard too! They’ve been there since last winter πŸ™‚ It’s still kind of warm here so I have yet to start thinking about Fall dishes but I’m always in the mood for a spicy Indian dal with mango chutney…mmmm!!

  4. 4
    Ange   September 19, 2008 at 11:52 am

    This sounds delightful.

  5. 5
    Shannon   September 19, 2008 at 12:31 pm

    I’m just starting my forray into indian cuisine and this just looks delish!

  6. 6
    VeggieGirl   September 19, 2008 at 12:50 pm

    Delicious dal!!!

  7. 7
    kickpleat   September 19, 2008 at 2:20 pm

    It’s never too early for curry, Bijoux!

    It was pretty tasty, Ella. Thanks!

    ttrn300, this is an easy dish to make. Good luck!

    Thanks, veggiegirl!

  8. 8
    Bijoux   September 19, 2008 at 3:11 pm

    Made it! made it!
    Even before I saw your response, I had the lentils cooking away. I also added some diced aubergine and a yellow zucchini just because they were in my fridge since last week and had to be used. And, I used 3 TBS of Patak’s Garam Masala curry paste…ohhh boy…sssssinge πŸ˜€

  9. 9
    Wendy   September 20, 2008 at 10:02 am

    That looks about perfect for dinner tonight, thanks!

  10. 10
    Mandy   September 20, 2008 at 12:46 pm

    You are just oozing with creativity! I’ve really enjoyed your posts and decided to pass on an excellence award to you for your blog! You can see it on my blog. Enjoy!

  11. 11
    kickpleat   September 20, 2008 at 3:49 pm

    bijoux, glad you made it and enjoyed it πŸ™‚

    wendy, i think it’s perfect for dinner anytime!

    mandy, thanks so much for the award and nice words πŸ™‚

  12. 12
    Nicole   September 20, 2008 at 3:55 pm

    This sounds perfect for these first days of fall! We’re not really experiencing too much of a weather change yet down here in southern California, but I’m already craving soups and stews and all kinds of warm and spicy things! I have everything on hand to throw this together soon! Thanks for such a simple yet creative dish!

  13. 13
    Anonymous   September 21, 2008 at 6:30 am

    Sounds delicious! Can green lentils be substituted for red as long as I adjust the cooking time? Or will it taste significantly different?

  14. 14
    Dawn   September 21, 2008 at 8:48 am

    Mmm. This type of dish is right up my food eating alley. I eat a lot of curry: in rice, soups, hummus (try putting it in hummus, wonderful!, pasta’s, etc..)
    Yes, mango would be wonderful with this as well.

  15. 15
    Dawn   September 21, 2008 at 8:49 am

    rathe mango chutney, ha!

  16. 16
    kickpleat   September 21, 2008 at 10:27 am

    nicole, it’s a great recipe to try and it certainly does help make the transition into fall a little better….even if it’s still summer where you are πŸ™‚

    anon, i’ve made dal before with green lentils before so i say go ahead and tell me how it went!

    thanks dawn, curries are great!

  17. 17
    Anonymous   September 22, 2008 at 6:35 am

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  18. 18
    Katie   September 22, 2008 at 8:43 am

    I like adding apple to lentil dishes, it always gives a nice sweetness

  19. 19
    C Allyn   September 22, 2008 at 2:23 pm

    I was excited to read your blog especially the part about the weather changing.
    I am from Vancouver, living in Florida and I miss the Autumn.
    Even your write up about curry makes me homesick for Vancouver.
    Great blog.

  20. 20
    margaux   September 25, 2008 at 7:34 am

    made it last night, and it was deeeeeeeeeeeelish!!! thanks for your super-simple, economical and yummy recipes.

  21. 21
    ibteda   September 26, 2008 at 7:28 am

    If you liek red lentils you might like to try this recipie for Hyderabadi Khatti (sour) dal.

    Just soak around half a cup of red lentils for around 10 minutes. Peel and dice 3 meduim tomatoes, put the tomatoes, the lentinls, a couple of halfed green chillies, salt, half a teaspoon of red chillies with enough water to cover everything. Simmer till the lentils are quite soft and then blend to a paste.
    Soak a tablespoon of tamarind in half a cup of water. Add the tamarind paste to the lentils and cook for another twenty minutes or so.
    Heat a bit of oil in another pan add zeera, a bayleaf, dry chilli and a teaspoon of chopped garlic to it.
    Pour over the lentils & cover immedeatly.
    Serve with boiled white rice.

  22. 22
    kickpleat   October 5, 2008 at 10:15 pm

    katie, i can see why! it’s delish πŸ™‚

    celeste, thanks for writing! pop by anytime!

    hooray! glad you enjoyed it, margrocks!

    thanks ibteda!

  23. 23
    Hayley   June 1, 2011 at 10:12 am

    This recipe looks SO GOOD! I can’t find garam masala curry paste anywhere in Ottawa tho πŸ™ Any hints for a different approach?

  24. 24
    kickpleat   June 1, 2011 at 10:23 am

    Hayley, you can use garam masala powder instead – check the spice aisles of your local grocery store. Or find an Indian market!

  25. 25
    natasha   September 23, 2011 at 3:16 pm

    I cooked this delicious dal for dinner tonight, it was wonderful. Thanks for sharing such tasty and easy recipes kickpleat πŸ™‚

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