Nepalese Dal made with French Lentils

This recipe came to me from my sister, whose family hosted an elite climbing Sherpa from the Kumbu region of the Himalaya in their home for many years. Nima Tashi has reached the summit of Mt. Everest at least 12 times, and that in itself is a feat that I can barely comprehend. Oh, and because Nima lives in the village of Pangboche, which sits at an elevation of 13k feet (3785M), he can stand on the summit of Everest sans oxygen. Truly amazing!

He shared much of his Nepalese culture with our family, a culture that revolves around the principals of kindness, compassion, and community as it's rooted in Buddism. Nima personified those qualities in all that he did. From his incredible skill and endurance as a climber who helped so many survive the grueling conditions in the Himalaya, to his gentle touch at landscaping a yard here on Cape Cod. He puts his heart and soul into everything he does, and his presence was a joyful addition to our family.

Nima Tashi on top of the world, photo from Joseph Acero

Part of Nima's job as a climbing Sherpa is to cook for his clients, and he's very good at it. He shared several of the traditional Nepalese dishes with us, and one of my favorites is momos and dal baat. The momos, or steamed dumplings, will have to wait for another post, as I still need a lesson from my sister for those. Today we'll tackle the dal, or lentils.

Nima's Dal

1 lb of dried lentils (I used small french lentils which are superb, but regular lentils are fine)

1/2 sweet onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, finely diced

2 tsp of ground ginger

2 tsp of curry powder (yellow)
1 tsp tumeric

1/2 bunch of chopped cilantro

salt

Wash the lentils and allow to drain:

Chop the onion and garlic:

Add about a tbsp of olive oil to a sauce pan, heat, then add 1/2 of the chopped onion and garlic, 1 tsp of curry, 1 tsp of ground ginger, 1 tsp tumeric and a pinch of salt. Saute for about 3 minutes, then add the lentils and saute for another 3 minutes:

Cover the lentils with water (about 1/2 inch above the lentils):

Cook over medium heat (gentle boil), covered, for about 20 minutes. Now add the remaining onions, garlic, ginger, curry, another pinch of salt, and a little more water so the lentils are covered by about a 1/4 inch of water. Continue cooking, covered, over medium heat for another 15-20 minutes, or until the lentils are almost tender.

Remove the cover and cook until the water is mostly absorbed. There will still be some water when you dig into the lentils. Add the chopped cilantro and combine well:

These are great served with rice, that's the baat part of dal baat. I'm off to purchase some fish that I'll poach and serve over mine. Enjoy!

My Minestrone

Yesterday was a soup day. Woke up to a Nor'easter, so it wasn't much of a stretch and Minestrone felt like the right choice. Often referred to as the big soup, or the one with many vegetables and beans, this soup is satisfying during the cold months.

You'll find recipes that vary across the regions of Italy, but it's always some combination of fresh vegetables and a type of cooked beans. Some purists say it should only be made with bean broth, but others use a meat based stock, which I happen to like. For this recipe I used chicken stock and some of the bean broth, or more accurately chick pea broth.  Toss in a handful of al dente pasta just before serving. Top with a sprinkle of Pecorino Romano cheese and mangiare!

My Minestrone

3 stalks of celery

1/2 small white onion

3 carrots

2 medium sized zucchini

2 medium sized yellow squash

1/2 lb mushrooms

1 lg can diced tomatoes
2 cartons of organic chicken broth

2 cups of cooked chick peas

Fresh Basil

1/2 lb of pasta cooked al dente (add to the bowls when serving)

Dice the celery, onion, and carrots then add to your stock pot with about a tbsp of olive oil. Saute for about 5 minutes:

Slice mushrooms, quarter and slice the zucchini and yellow squash, and add to the pot. Cook until the vegetables start to sweat (this should be about 8-10 minutes):

 

Add the chicken stock and diced tomatoes:

Add the chick peas and 1 and 1/2 cups of that broth. I cooked mine in my pressure cooker, but you could certainly use canned (add the peas and the liquid), although fresh are much tastier. You can also cook chick peas on the stove in a heavy pan which takes about an hour and a half.

Simmer the soup for 1 hour over medium to low heat. Add chopped basil (I cut it with scissors) just before serving. Minestrone is satisfying when served with crusty Italian, or French bread. Enjoy! Anyone else out there making soup?