Lunch: Dhal Over Spinach

We stumbled upon an Indian market - Shalimar India Food & Spices - that's tucked away next to the Harvest Co-op in Central Square. I managed to resist the stacks of Bollywood movies but did come home with an armful of spices and a big bag of yellow lentils.... dhal over spinach, anyone?

This was a throw-something-together-quickly-so-we're-not-late-for-the-iMax-movie lunch that ended up being deeeelicious. The warm dhal wilts the spinach a little bit and the cold/warm, soft/crunchy combination was awesome. I was in charge of making rice to eat with the dhal but ended up opting for spinach simply because I was too lazy to make rice and there was spinach in the fridge. Sometimes being lazy and late really pays off.

Ingredients:
1 red onion
2-inch piece of fresh ginger
1 cup yellow lentils
1 can (light) coconut milk
Cayenne pepper or chili
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon Curry Powder
2 bay leaves
3 whole cloves
5 Cardamom pods (my absolute favorite!)

1. Saute the onion and ginger in olive oil until the onion is soft.
2. Add the lentils and spices and cook for a few minutes.
3. Pour in the coconut milk, cover, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed.
4. Add water little by little until the lentils are tender but still have some texture.
5. Season with salt and pour over spinach. Enjoy!