"Un"Take-Out Tuesday: Dal Makhani (What one can of coconut milk can do for you -- the Final Chapter!)

Finally! Dal Makhani on a bed of rice and sweet potato puree.

Where I live, there is an amazing Indian restaurant called Rasoi from which I often order.  I've always seen the black lentils with tomato and spices on the menu, but there, it is often made with ghee and cream. So, of course, I contentedly go with my vegan Chana Masala or Tofu Saag.  Eager to find as many ways to savor the last of summer's tomatoes and to clean out the pantry, I realized -- black lentils in hand-- that now was the perfect time to try out a dish that I'd often wanted to order, if circumstances had allowed.

Again, the Google revealed this well-reviewed recipe.  However, I streamlined it a bit with ground herbs and other pantry substitutions as follows:

1) Omissions: kidney beans, soaking, cream, butter, and spices as written (unless directed to be ground/dried).
2)  Cook 1 c. lentils according to package directions for longest time listed with veg. broth.
3) Use a 4 oz. can of diced green chiles, approximations of dried/ground for spices (basically, I eyeball palmed the converted measurements), and coconut milk.

Easy to throw together with the modifications (and faster!); then, voila! -- a large pot of deliciousness to permeate your house with aromas of joy.  Note: flavors meld overnight for extra yum. I loved the sweet essence from the puree (as well as its aesthetic benefit) and the slight tang of additional fresh tomato.  I'm already excited to have the rest of my "take-out" tomorrow!

Final thought of the day: sometimes, you need to take rest.  In our culture, many of us find it hard to give ourselves this time.  I confess that today, I fought the rest that every part of me really needed for hours after ending my work day.  And then, when I finally started to soften, I realized that lightness and ease could find their way in.  I wish you a delicious end to your day, as well as a beautiful, necessary rest.