Red Lentil Dahl with Sausage and Fried Shallots
1 cup red lentils
2 cups water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp Cumin
¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
Olive oil
1 lb ground pork
1 leek, white and light green parts finely chopped
Red pepper flakes
½ cup safflower or canola oil
3 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced into rings
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Cilantro, roughly chopped
Labneh, for serving
Lemon, optional
Place lentils and water into a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Season with salt, pepper, cumin and cayenne. Cover and allow to simmer until lentils are completely soft and falling apart, and liquid has disappeared.
While lentils cook, heat a small glug of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan for 1 minute, then add sausage, breaking it up with a spoon. Allow sausage to sit undisturbed for several minutes to get some nice crispy browned bits. After 2-3 minutes, add leeks and sauté until soft and translucent 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then remove from heat until ready to serve.
Heat safflower oil in a deep frying pan or small sauce pan over medium-high heat until a piece of shallot sizzles vigorously when dropped in (you don’t want it to sizzle too violently, as that will burn them too quickly – if that happens turn off heat and allow oil to cool for a few minutes before trying again). Add shallots and garlic and stir constantly until they are golden brown and crispy. Remove with tongs and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with some salt.
To serve, spoon dahl into a bowl, then top with sausage, fried shallots, cilantro, a dollop of labneh and a spritz of fresh lemon juice.
Add an over-easy egg to make a breakfast version.