Eggplant Dal

A half teaspoon of ground cardamom in the spice mixture and Juice of a whole lemon at the end of cooking really brightens this dish

This was tasty but needed a bit more oomph. I followed the recipe to the letter except I didn’t have ghee…subbed unsalted butter instead. I wound up adding a bit more garlic and some garam masala to perk it up a bit. Served it with naan and I’m sure leftovers will improve in the fridge.

Simpler version is to start the second step with just Masoor dal and water to cook the lentils half way, then adding tomatoes, and when lentils are cooked almost all the way but not all the way adding a tsp of tamarind juice extracted by squeezing tamarind soaked in hot water and also the egg plant mixture.Adding hot chilli powder as per your preference kicks it up a notch. Tadka (mustard seeds,cumin seeds,fresh crushed garlic and a few curry leaves spluttered in hot oil) to be added at the end.

First! Was missing a little something. Subbed the chili with red pepper flakes, but it was really missing a little kick or a little tang or a little spice.

Per others suggestions, I doubled all the spices and added 1 t of garam masala, 1 t of crushed red pepper, and 1 t turmeric. Used coconut oil instead of ghee and 2 medium tomatoes. Only added 2 1/2 c water vs 3 cups. Added eggplant and onions back in after lentils had cooked. Loved it!

I would use a neutral-flavored oil like sunflower or, alternatively, use coconut oil. Olive oil has a strong flavor that often does not work with Indian dishes.

I decided that his needed a punch before eating it or reading the reviews. I added juice of 1 lemon, Garam Marsala, turmeric and chili flakes. This definitely gave it flavor. I would also recommend not using 3 cups of water, it makes it too watery. 2 cups should be enough to cook the lentils. If I make again, I think I will add the eggplant after the lentils are cooked, I did not like the mushy nature of the dish.

I adapted this for the instant pot. After I sauteed the eggplant I added tomato paste instead of sauteeing fresh tomatoes, then added the water and lentils and pressure cooked on high for 4 minutes. Used the saute function at the end to reduce the moisture. I agree that it needed more oomph...I'll add more spices and garlic next time.

After reading it was a little bland, I added an extra tsp of each seasoning, as well as a heaping tablespoon of garam masala. I also added a chicken breast I needed to use up along with the eggplant and onion, which I’m sure added some depth of flavor. Very tasty, would make again!

If you want to appear authentic (or get closer to authentic), serve it either with rice OR with bread. NEVER with both.

Agree that the dish needed some “tang”! I added the juice of one mandarin orange, and I think I should have added a bit more. But regardless, it was delicious and a perfect healthy and hearty Sunday dinner

Disappointing. Very dull. Sorry!

This was very delicious with a few tweaks. Increased cumin & coriander by 50% and added 1/2 tsp of cardamom and lemon juice to finish as suggested by others. Great use of garden eggplants over brown basmati rice.

Others have noted that this dish is bland and not punchy enough, but dal is not meant to be a super punchy dish in most cases… this is a great comfort food. Nourishing, rich, and delicate. Highly recommend for a rainy day or for when you are sick. Very good!