Hello Dal-y: Broccolini and Chickpea Dal

Last year I started a subscription to Sunset. Yes, I am my mother, and I've accepted that (to be honest, she is a pretty cool lady). Anyway, I didn't quite know what to expect when I got my first issue in the mail. I knew there were going to be a lot of articles about gardening (have I not mentioned my rather brown thumb?), home renovations (although drool-worthy, can't use them), and travel (okay, that fits into our life a little more). I had a feeling there would be some recipes involved (I mean, what else are you going to do with your perfectly grown summer squash in your homemade redwood raised beds?), but I wasn't sure what kind. I didn't want a repeat of Mario Batalli, in which he goes on in a pompous manner about how readily available he finds monkfish at his local fishmonger's and how his father owns his own charcuterie (or the Italian equivalent) and makes his own salumi and other dried meats and sausage. Oh--you don't have these things available? Too bad, no substitutions for you, peasant! *ahem* Where was I? Oh, right... I was pleasantly surprised to find that Sunset's recipes were easy to follow and were, of course, delicious. Plus, since Sunset is all about the seasonal availability of everything, the recipes coincide with the seasons and use fresh ingredients, which you can find in abundance at your local store, in my case Whole Foods (anyone who follows me on Twitter will know I have a bit of a Whole Foods addiction). 

One of the first recipes I tried from Sunset was this one, Broccolini and Chickpea Dal. Alright, pun aside, I love a good dal. As I've established a number of times before, I cannot get enough of legumes. I think I could easily go vegetarian, as long as I subsisted on nothing but legumes (and, of course, pairing them with the right grain as to ensure I'm getting my complete protein). Of course, this would mean no meat and that would make me a very sad omnivore. Nonetheless, I have been known o make a vegetarian meal every so often and this has become one of my absolute favorites. I also love anything that starts with "brocco-", whether it's plain ol' broccoli or perhaps its bitter cousin broccoli rabe or its sweeter and more tender brethren broccolini, I love it all. I've been known to live off of broccoli (okay, it was broccoli and baked potatoes, but still, my college dorm's mini-fridge wasn't complete without a few bags of already prepared fresh broccoli florets). This dish is perfect: it's spicy, tender, creamy, and perfect for all occasions. I'm sure if you can't find broccolini, you can simply use regular broccoli. Although, I would recommend just trim up the stems a bit more so that it cooks in the time allotted without overcooking the chickpeas. Seriously - this is a meal I would easily make year round. Who cares if it's the middle of summer and you can't get off the couch because your thighs are stuck to it? This will make you sweat just enough to loosen things up and off you go!

Broccolini and Chickpea Dal

Sunset says it serves 6, but it makes a TON (feel free to freeze)

2 cups Dried* Chickpeas, spot-checked for debris and rinsed

2 to 3 Serrano Chiles, coarsely chopped

1 Qt. Vegetable Broth or Reduced-Sodium Chicken Broth

1-1/2 teaspoons Tumeric

1 teaspoon Ground Cumin

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, divided

2 Yellow Onions (medium-sized), thinly sliced

3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

1 Bunch Broccolini (about 3/4 lb.), stems sliced 1/2" thick and tops cut into 1-1/2" florets)

4 teaspoons Black Mustard Seeds**

1-1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

Hot-cooked Quinoa or Basmati Rice***

____________________________________

* Yes, it'll require a lot more cooking time, but dried chickpeas for this is best. Canned would be too soft and when you go to pulse the chickpeas to chop them up, you'll end up with something more akin to hummus than roughly chopped chickpeas. While I love hummus, this is not the consistency you're looking for here.

** My Whole Foods did not have Black Mustard Seeds, so I used brown mustard seeds instead. I'm not quite sure what the flavor difference is.

*** My vote, hands down, is quinoa. So yummy! Ratio is 1 part quinoa to 1-1/2 parts liquid. I used broth, which infuses the quinoa with a great savory flavor, but water would work just fine.

____________________________________

1. Put chickpeas in a large pot; add water to cover by 2 inches and soak overnight. (OR Bring chickpeas to a boil over high heat, then turn off heat and soak about 2 hours.) Drain.

2. Pulse half the chickpeas in a food processor with 1/4 cup fresh water until coarsely chopped. Pour into pot used for soaking. Repeat with remaining chickpeas, more water, and the Serranos. Add broth, 1 cup of water, tumeric, ground cumin, and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt to the pot, as well.

3. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to simmer until chickpeas are tender, stirring occasionally, about 40-50 minutes.

4. While chickpeas are cooking, cook sliced onions in the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until deep golden in color, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat.

5. Stir in the broccolini into the chickpeas, return to simmering, and cook until tender, about 12 minutes.

6. Stir mustard and cumin seeds and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt into the onions and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until cumin turns a shade darker, about 2 minutes. Set aside about 1/3 of the onion mixture and stir the rest in with the chickpeas. Add more salt to taste.

7. Ladle dal and quinoa (or rice) next to each other in bowls and top with reserved onion mixture.

Credit: Sunset Magazine, February 2012, p. 90.