| Lentil soup, also known as dal in some countries | | | | - Eggplant, diced. For a bit of difference, try the small, |
| including India, is a very high-protein, high-fiber, nutritious | | | | globe-shaped green-striped Thai eggplants, or even the |
| dish that can be served up plain as a snack, or over | | | | long, purple Asian eggplants. You could try white |
| rice as part of a larger meal. It's a staple food item in | | | | eggplants, but you won't have a color contrast. |
| many countries. | | | | - Large diced onions, cut in 1/8ths or slivers. The |
| Lentils are very inexpensive and are a great substiute | | | | slivered form adds a lot of texture, and onions, of |
| for meat proteins. Plain lentil soup tends to be a lacking | | | | course, add even more fiber. |
| in texture, if you're eating it on its own. It's versatile | | | | - Broccoli, cut into medium-sized florets. Don't use |
| enough, however, to be turned into a vegetable stew. | | | | ground up pieces as they'll make the stew mealy. |
| Although I would not recommend adding meat protein | | | | Even better, unless you like your broccoli mushy, don't |
| to a lentil stew as they will clash. The only exception is | | | | add them to the stew until the last 15-20 minutes of |
| replacing some of the water used to cook the lentils | | | | cooking. |
| with either chicken or turkey broth. Poultry broth adds | | | | - Cauliflower, cut into medium-sized florets. Cauliflower |
| a richness of taste without over-powering the rest of | | | | tends to hold up better than broccoli, but if you want a |
| the ingredients. | | | | crisp texture, add it in the last 20-25 minutes of |
| In different parts of India, there are many variations of | | | | cooking. It's probably a bad idea to use both cauliflower |
| vegetable stews made with a dal base. Many of the | | | | and broccoli at the same time for textural and visual |
| recipes are passed down through family members. | | | | appeal reasons, although you are welcome to try. |
| Here are some basic pointers for a vegetable dal | | | | You should feel free to experiment. Don't add delicate |
| stew: | | | | items like peas, snow peas, celery, lettuce, corn kernels. |
| - Green beans, snapped into 1-2 inch lengths. Frozen | | | | They just don't work very well, and ruin the texture. |
| beans are okay, but fresh beans are much tastier. Try | | | | The balance is to contrast the smooth texture of the |
| not to use beans you've already boiled/ steamed, as | | | | basic dal against large, chunky, delicious vegetables |
| they'll get mushy in the dal. | | | | that keep some of their firmness after cooking. |
| - Potatoes, large dice. Potatoes add texture at two | | | | Follow the recipe instructions for a basic dal first. You |
| levels. Firstly, they thicken the dal when the breakdown. | | | | can add uncooked diced potatoes at the beginning of |
| The pieces that don't break down add a bit of | | | | the cooking processs. Once you are at the stage |
| contrasting firmness against the dal. | | | | where the lentils have almost fully broken down, you |
| - White radish, cut into 1/4 inch wide strips of about 1 | | | | can add the rest of the firmer vegetables. Enjoy! |
| inch in length. | | | | |