Dal Gosht - Lamb with Lentils & Spices

From How to Cook Indian: More Than 500 Classic Recipes for the Modern Kitchen
(Unfortunately the photo got deleted. Yet another reason to make it again)

Printable Recipe
Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour

Serves 4

Ingredients:
¼ c chana dal (yellow split peas)
2 tbsp arhar dal/toor dal (split pigeon peas)
2 tbsp masoor dal (split red lentils)
2 cups water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
½ tsp cumin seeds
¾ tsp fresh ginger paste (mince fine and pound with a little water to a paste constituency)
½ tbsp fresh garlic paste (same as for ginger)
2 green chilies, stemmed & slit (I took the seeds out for a milder dish)
1 red onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground roasted cumin
¼ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp garam masala (I used the awesome Kashmiri Garam Masala from Epices de Cru)
1 lb/450g boneless lamb cut into 1” pieces
1 quart/liter water
Juice of ½ lemon
Garnish: fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:
1. Put all the dal in a large bowl and rinse with lots of water 2-3 times. Drain and then add 2 cups of water to the dal. Soak for 30 minutes and drain in a colander.

2. In a medium-sized pot, over medium heat, add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pot, add the cumin seeds. When they change color, add the ginger & garlic pastes and chilies. Sauté for 1 minute.

3. Add the chopped onion and sauté 3-4 minutes or until golden. Add the tomato and salt and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the chili powder, coriander, ground cumin and turmeric and sauté for 1 minute or until the aroma makes you smile.

4. Add the garam masala, lamb and drained dal. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the liter/quart of water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low, cover and cook for 1 hour or until the lamb is tender. Add lemon juice and stir well. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve hot

I served it over Aloo Gobhi Ki Tahiri (Fragrant Rice with Potatoes & Cauliflower)