Red Lentil with Chard

It's been a chilly (for Santa Monica) couple of days and that always makes me want comfort food.  Indian is one of my favorite cuisines, and I love making it at home and for clients. Red lentils are always fun because they are incredibly tasty, easy to prepare and cook quickly.

This red lentil dal with swiss chard was inspired by a dish that I had at Whole Foods, although, not to brag, but I think mine is much more flavorful.  Dal refers to a split bean, lentil or pea (pulse) that has been stripped from its outer hull and split, or the thick stew that is prepared using these pulses. Indian cooking often uses a lot of ghee, which is clarified butter, so when I make it, I use coconut oil instead to keep it vegan. Coconut is pretty popular in Indian cooking so it makes for a good substitute.

Red Lentil Dal with Swiss Chard
Ingredients 
1 T coconut oil 
2 T minced ginger
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp garlic powder, or asafoetida
1 tsp salt 
1 C red lentils 
3 C water
small bunch chard, chopped 
1/2 C coconut milk

Directions 
1. Heat oil in a medium pot, over medium heat. Add ginger and sautee for 1 minute. Add spices, followed by lentils. Stir to combine.
2. Add water and salt and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat; simmer for 20 minutes, until lentils are tender. Add chard to the pot and simmer covered for another 5 minutes until wilted.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut milk. Spoon over rice, if desired and serve hot.