There are times in life when an idea pops into your head and you feel certain that it’s going to turn out well. Later, when you follow through, you discover that your idea wasn’t merely adequate; it was utterly marvellous.
Like, say, when you decide on a whim to move to Canada despite never having visited the country before and you know it will be an adventure then almost a year after you first conceived of the plan you find yourself lying with your two new housemate-friends on a half-broken couch-futon squished together like laughing sardines and it’s your second night in your new sublet and you’re watching Midnight in Paris and you have a mug of hot tea resting on your stomach moving up and down slightly with each breath and there’s a cat printed on the mug and your stomach feels wonderfully warm in a perfect circle beneath the tea and the cat is looking at you and you’re looking at the pairs of feet lined up at the base of the half-broken couch-futon and suddenly all of your earlier quiet fluttering panic about not knowing what you’re doing with your life melts away and all that matters is the crystal clarity of this moment, this crystal perfect moment, this one moment in time.
Or when you decide to make a red lentil dal but you want to make it different and unique somehow; you want it to be representative of the fact that you’re in Canada, that you’re really living in Canada, so you think let’s add some fresh tart lovely bright red jewel cranberries to the spiced red lentils, and you think it will be good, but it turns out to be better than good. Your Vegan Red Lentil Dal with Cranberries turns out to be the best dal-slash-red-lentil-soup you’ve ever made or eaten.
It’s like that.
Vegan Red Lentil Dal with Cranberries
Serves 4
Adapted from Orangette
- 1 tb olive or coconut oil
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 medium green capsicum (bell pepper), chopped
- 1 tb (heaping) tomato paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/4 litres vegetable stock
- 1 cup red lentils
- 3/4 – 1 cup fresh cranberries (see note for substitutions)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, then sauté the onion, garlic, and capsicum for about five minutes until onion is translucent and capsicum has softened.
- Add the tomato paste, cumin, and smoked paprika, and stir for another two minutes until the paste and spices are beginning to toast and your kitchen starts to smell delicious.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and lentils, bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for half an hour.
- Add the fresh cranberries ten minutes into the lentils’ cooking time, so that the cranberries simmer and meld with the deliciousness for about twenty minutes.
- Season to taste, and serve.
Notes: If you can’t access fresh cranberries where you are (hi Australia!), try adding an equal amount of thinly sliced rhubarb. Alternatively, skip the cranberries altogether but season with a few squeezes of fresh lemon, to taste, just before serving. This makes a very soup-y dal, so if you’d prefer something more suited to serving over rice, cut down the stock by about two cups.
Submitted to Ricki’s Wellness Weekend and Healthy Vegan Friday.
I like this post very much! Was it DAL-icious? Heehee.
Thanks Sarah. And it was dal-icious indeed. I wish I’d thought of your dad-pun myself.
I love this post – I have often thought of moving to Canada as well, and I have the same flutters of panic every time I think about my impending graduation and my dislike of the course I’m in. Thank you for the reassurance that things WILL work out. Who knows, I may find myself in a few years in a completely different place, exhilarated with different possibilities and warmed by a lovely bowl of spiced red dal. (:
Thank you for your lovely comment, Ash! I’m utterly sure that things will work out for you. You’re clearly already aware of what aspects of life you think will and won’t make you happy, and what you may need/want to do to find adventure and contentment. My advice for one day finding yourself in a different place? You just do it. Have courage, and leap.
I would love to try a fresh cranberry…. silly Australia.
They taste like the tiny unripe plums I used to pick from trees on the way to school as a kid.
I’m loving the flavour twists you have added to this daal they certainly beat the average black one my mum is much too fond of
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
No such thing as being too fond of dal!
How crazy! How yummy! I’m all for weird combos and this sounds way up my alley. Lovely to hear how your adventure is panning out. Sometimes you just have to stop thinking and be. Not easy, but when it happens whatta rush!
Alas, I’m probably more in the “I’ve had months of following the whims of the wind, and now it’s time to start thinking”, but the moments of calm-flowing are consequently all the more appreciated!
OK you’re going to laugh but I’m so used to seeing dried cranberries that I thought that the plump cranberries were coins of sausage! I was thinking that looks really meaty for a vegan sausage
Ha! Frames of reference, right? We’re used to seeing sausages with lentils, so that’s what the brain jumps to
Like that sounds pretty great, in all the ways
And the addition of cranberries to this dish is pure genius.
I am going to make that for dinner tonight – it’s snowing here, and judging by my increasing coughs, I’ve caught Love Chunks’ cold.
Glad to hear that your shift across the hemispheres is turning out so well!
Oh no! Hopefully cranberries have magical anti-cold properties for you. xo
For some reason this lentil dal just radiates happiness to me. It must be all that deliciousness expressing itself.
I wonder if any other berries could be substituted – maybe blueberries? It sounds delicious anyway and I like the idea of serving it over rice. You are a genius – but then you ARE my granddaughter!
Glad to hear the new sub-let is proving a happy experience.
Did you see my note down the end? I suggested thinly sliced rhubarb, as it has the same tart-not-at-all-sweet property as cranberries do. I wouldn’t throw in any other berries, as I think their sweetness would overpower the spices. And you know me; I’d serve it over quinoa
Miss you Grandma! xo
Yes, I did take note of the rhubarb suggestion and would love to try it but where can I buy rhubarb such as we used to grow at Stephanie Place? What we see in shops is but a poor imitation and isn’t worth cooking. I can see what you mean by the tart/-sweet contrast with the spiciness.
ooxx for you, too.
What about frozen cranberries. You can often buy them here. Recipe looks yummy, Hannah.
You could, but they’d break down more. But definitely an option!
Wow adding cranberries to that is brilliant!! I never would have though to do it but seems like the perfect addition!
This sounds so so amazing. In all of the times that I’ve made Indian food, I’ve not once thought of adding fresh cranberries. I can only imagine how wonderful that flavor combination must be. I have an Indian dinner cooking date with some friends this weekend, and I will have to try this out on them!
Thank you Jodye! Perhaps I saw cranberries with fresh eyes because I’ve never, ever had access to fresh ones before
Definitely let me know what you think if you try this! I plan to make it again with even more cranberries. All the tart! All the tart! 
Yes. Just like that… just like that.
Heidi xo
Girlfriend. I love this post. And I understand those crazy reeling feelings. I felt the same thing when I quit my life and moved on to a new one (that eventually led me to Melbourne). It’s just warm and happy and undoubtedly would have been made better by a cat mug, but hey that’s ok.
Love the idea of cranberries in dhal. Makes perfect sense, actually, to have a sweet burst of flavor punctuating the mellow lentils. You smart thang.
Thank you Yasmeen. Your comment gives me great comfort and continued faith that this adventure is the right move for me. It’s wonderful to hear of others who’ve taken similar steps and soared. I’m still missing one of the main elements that led you to settle in Melbourne, though!
xoxo
Love it dear
I’m taking a break from meat at the moment so this recipe does sound very appealing ! I also love it when there are those moments of adventure that turn out more than you would have ever expected or imagined 
your recipes and your decisions about how to live your life are inspirational – would make this dahl if it was easier to find fresh cranberries here – will just have to wait til I am on the right side of the world for cranberries
btw – blog looks great – I assume it is new and I haven’t been too preoccupied to notice it before
Ha! Actually, this is because my blog was horrifically hacked yesterday and the only thing BlueHost could do was reinstall my blog elsewhere, with none of my original plugins or theme. But I also quite like the cleanliness of this! Need to figure a few things out though.
Thank you Johanna; that’s lovely to hear. You can definitely make this without the cranberries! As I said, you could throw in sliced rhubarb, or simply go with the lemon juice that the recipe I adapted this from used
I love dal! And I’ve never thought to make it with cranberries before, or any fruit for that matter. You’re totally being a better Canadian than I am, lol. Definitely pinning it!
I like how you define being Canadian. I’ve been told by others that I’m definitely not Canadian yet, on account of my fear of the cold.
Ah, now I can finally comment. Sorry to hear about your website woes.. Am currently backing up my own blog. Anyways, your dal looks delicious. I’ve made the original soup but I like your addition of cranberries. Indian curries like to mix in tart ingredients but I have never seen cranberries before.
Ah, I shall have to look through your many red lentil recipes, as I have half the bag left to use up!
Haha, no shortage of red lentil inspiration here…
Dal bhat is definitely our favourite: http://tastespace.wordpress.com/2011/08/29/dal-bhat-nepalese-mountain-lentil-curry/
Now during the week I am closer than ever to you in your happy safely-ensconced cozy comfy cat mug sublet in Canada! I’m surrounded by crazy jolly French Canadian loggers, and it is amazing – just like this recipe sounds;)
So you’re coming to visit, right?
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