Food Matters Project: Dal with Lots of Vegetables

This week  Anita of Cooking Poetry picked our Bittman recipe for the week: Dal with Lots of Vegetables. Here's what the creative cookers made (look in the comments section).

I actually made this last week while we were out of town, at Lake Tahoe. What a perfect dish to combat the chill from sledding all day. It was a hit!

Bittman writes that dal, in India, is often a thin lentil stew...but that if vegetables and meat are available, they're added. He also states that there's no need to be finicky about what kinds of veggies you use. So, I used what I had on hand.

1 T olive oil
1 C chopped sweet onions
2 strips of applewood smoked bacon, diced
1 T minced ginger
2 C chopped lacinto kale
1 C wild arugula
1 C baby spinach
1 C mixed baby greens
1 diced carrot
4 cardamom pods
1 T mustard seeds
2 whole cloves
freshly ground salt
freshly ground pepper
2 C green lentils
2 C organic chicken broth
water

In a large souppot, heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered but the bacon is not yet crispy. Then add the onions, carrot, and ginger, cooking until softened. Add in cardamom, mustard, and cloves and heat until fragrant, but not burning. Stir in the greens, lentils, and chicken broth. Fill the pot with water until everything is covered by about an inch of liquid. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the lentils are tender, approximately 35-40 minutes. Remove the pods and cloves before serving. Serve hot over brown basmati rice.