Ingredients
- 250g red lentils (masoor dal)
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tsp finely diced or grated ginger
- 2 medium potatoes
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 ½ – 2 cups water
- ¾ – 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp black onion seeds (optional)
- ½ tsp black cumin seeds (optional)
- 500g vegan puff pastry (block or pre-rolled)
- Sesame seeds for decoration (optional)
Method
- Peel and dice the potatoes into roughly ¾ cm dice.
- Add to boiling salted water and boil until the raw flavour is gone but the dice are still firm.
- Drain the potatoes, leave to steam dry and then fry at medium heat in 1 tbsp oil until just beginning to brown. Set aside.
- Fry the onions at medium heat in 1 tbsp oil until translucent and soft. Add the ginger and fry for two minutes more. Add the garlic and fry for one minute.
- Add the turmeric and stir for a few seconds, then add the lentils.
- Fry the lentils for a minute stirring all the while.
- Add ½ cup water and stir well, Lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally but thoroughly. The aim is to just cook the lentils so that they retain some bite and begin to bind together but not so much that they completely collapse into a paste as you might with a traditional dal. As the water is absorbed, keep adding additional splashes to loosen the mixture.
- After five minutes or so, add the salt and garam masala then begin to taste the lentils for seasoning and texture.
- Once the hard core of the lentils has softened and the mixture has changed from a collection of loose lentils into more of a granular paste, turn the heat off.
- In ½ tbsp oil, gently fry the black onion and black cumin seeds until they begin to pop and are aromatic. Tip into the lentil mixture and stir well.
- Gently fold the potato dice in. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature
- Unroll or roll out the puff pastry and decide how long and thick the rolls will be. It is usually easiest to make one or several long rolls and then cut them to the desired length after filling. Cut the long strips of pastry (a strip about 13 cm wide rolls up to give a fairly average-sized roll) then lay the filling along the middle of the strip. Gently but firmly compress the filling and shape it to be even along along the length.
- Wet one edge of the pastry strip then fold the other edge over and press to bind the pastry edge together. Arrange the roll so that the overlapping edges are on the bottom of the roll and transfer to your baking tray, ideally lined with baking paper. Repeat until all the pastry or filling is used up. There will likely be a small amount of filling left. This can be reheated with a little water to loosen the texture and cooked for five minutes to make a tasty dal.
- With a sharp knife, cut the long rolls into the correct serving lengths and slightly push the rolls apart from each other. Brush with oil and sprinkle the sesame seeds (if used) on top.
- Preheat the oven according to the puff pastry instructions (typically 180°C) before placing the tray(s) in. Bake until the pastry has puffed and browned to your preference, occasionally turning the tray around to ensure even cooking. This will probably take between 12 and 18 minutes.
- Transfer the rolls to a rack to cool or serve warm.
Recipe by Anne and Philip
