Tomato Dal With Crispy Paneer

March 23, 2023

This delicious dal recipe comes to us from Martin Hill. Made with warming spices like black cardamom, cinnamon and smoked paprika. Our Organic Olive Green Lentils are a great addition to any dal, as they keep their shape well and bring a nutty flavour. Topped off with crispy paneer and quick pickled red onion.

We’re very lucky to have a couple of lovely recipes from Martin, but if you’d like more you can head over to Barcombe Nurseries’ website. Martin not only runs the organic farm and veg box scheme there, but he also develops seasonal recipes for their customers.

Ingredients

1 Onion, finely diced
A little butter or olive oil for sautéing
5 Cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and minced
½ tsp Cumin seeds
2 Black cardamom pods
1 Cinnamon stick
1 tbsp Curry powder
1 tsp Smoked paprika
¼ tsp Chilli powder
1 tsp Ground cumin
2 tbsp Tomato puree
250g Olive green lentils
4 Vine tomatoes, roughly diced
½ Tin coconut milk
750ml Vegetable stock
1 tsp Sugar

For the paneer

400g Paneer
Sunflower oil
1 tsp Nigella seeds
1 tsp Curry powder
Pinch of Sea salt

For the onion quick pickle

1 Red onion, finely sliced
1 Lemon, juice
Pinch of Salt

Method

Prepare the Quick Pickle

Halve and finely slice the red onions, put them in a small bowl and squeeze over the juice of a lemon and a good pinch of salt. Mix well and set aside.

For the Dal

Heat the butter or oil in a large pan and sauté the onions with the whole spices for 3-4 minutes until the onion is soft. Using a fine grater, grate the garlic and ginger into the pan and cook for a couple of minutes more. Add the ground spices along with the tomato puree and fry for another 2 minutes then add the lentils, tomatoes and sugar.

Add the coconut milk along with the stock. Mix well and simmer for around 45 mins stirring often. Add more water part way through cooking if needed.

For the Crispy Paneer

Cut the paneer into large chunks. Gently toss the paneer in the sunflower oil, nigella seeds, curry powder and a pinch of sea salt until evenly coated. Bake on a tray in the oven at 180C (fan) or 200C for 20-30 mins until browned and crispy

To Serve

Serve the dal with the crispy paneer on top, scatter over the quick pickled onions.

Enjoy!

Comments will be approved before showing up.

Also in Recipes for Pulses, Grains, Seeds, Flakes, Flour, Ferments...

Black Beans bread British Coriander Seeds oats Pearled Grains YQ Flour

Black Bean Pudding with Soda Bread

April 17, 2025

Swap blood for beans with Eden's vegetarian riff on black pudding. With pearled naked barley for a bit of chewiness, this hearty and spicy dish is best enjoyed with wholemeal soda bread.

Beans Flageolet Beans Hemp Pulses Quick & Easy Seeds Shelled Hemp Seed Spring Vegan Vegetarian Whole Rapeseed

Lemony Flageolet Beans with Purple Sprouting Broccoli & Savoury Seeds

April 16, 2025

This quick and easy dish from Isabella Palmer is perfect for a light dinner. Make with our creamy flageolet beans.

Carlin Peas Indian Pulses Supper

Coconut Squash Curry with Braised Carlin Peas

April 16, 2025

The firm yet giving nature of roasted squash means it’s able to absorb any flavour you throw at it, in this case a curry paste featuring pineapple and turmeric sauerkraut and coconut chips, resulting in a sweet, spicy dry curry. Nick matched that with a braise of Carlin peas.

Spill the beans!

Get in touch at hello@hodmedods.co.uk or 01986 467567

Things sometimes go wrong but we'll always do our best to put it right. Please contact us to let us know if there's any problem with an order.

For further details please see our Terms of Service, Returns, Refunds and Exchanges Policy and Privacy Policy.

By signing up, you agree to receive marketing emails. Please see our Privacy Policy for more details.

Registered in England and Wales as Hodmedod Ltd, The Studios, London Road, Brampton, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 8DQ, UK; company number 08151811.