Goop's Indian Spiced Black Dhal-Stuffed Sweet Potato
The moment I saw this recipe on Goop, I knew it was going to be a hit in my house. I immediately sent it to Bella, figuring she’d want to try it, too. It is super easy to make and the flavors are so intense. I love the mix of coconut milk with turmeric, curry, cinnamon, ginger and cayenne. I had extra large sweet potatoes, which I cut in half; so rather than stuff them, I simply smothered them with the delicious dhal (which Stephan thought looked like caviar). I served it with a salad for the perfect summer evening meal.
Note: This dhal recipe makes enough for 4 ¾-cup servings. Each serving should top 1 sweet potato; you can either make 4 sweet potatoes and eat throughout the week or simply eat the dhal as leftovers. It also freezes well.
Serves 1-4
Ingredients
2 tbsps. coconut or olive oil
1 onion, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 cup dried black lentils (Optional: Cover completely with water and a bit of sea salt and let soak overnight; drain and rinse well before following the recipe, using ¼ cup less stock. This helps make the lentils more digestible.)
1½ cups vegetable stock
1½ cups or 1 13½-ounce can of coconut milk
3 cloves garlic
1 to 4 sweet potatoes (depending on how many servings you’re making: see note)
fresh cilantro, to garnish (optional).
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Wash sweet potato and place it directly in the oven, with a piece of parchment or foil below to catch any drips. Cook for 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until it gives easily when squeezed. Remove from oven and let cool.
3. Meanwhile, peel and mince your garlic and set aside, so the compounds have time to activate. (I usually just cook the garlic at the same time as the onion.)
4. Add oil to a medium pot and cook onion (and garlic, if you want to follow my lead) until translucent; add spices and cook for 3 more minutes or until fragrant. Add lentils, vegetable broth, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes, or until lentils are very soft and have absorbed most of the liquid. (If you didn’t add the garlic in Step 3, as I prefer, then turn off the heat, add the garlic immediately, and stir—this cooks the garlic enough to mitigate the intensity of the flavor while preserving all of its health benefits).
5. Spoon over sweet potatoes and top with a few generous spoonfuls of dhal. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired.
