Since finishing my Ph.D. in May (and after a long holiday lolling about in the Mediterranean, doodling “Dr. Haumesser” on scrap paper), I’ve been editing my dissertation to turn it into a book. This has involved digging back into nineteenth-century newspapers, reading books that I missed the first time around, and low-key freaking out about a November 9 deadline for submitting the manuscript to my publisher.

In addition, about two months ago, I started a full-time job. Book editing got moved to the wee hours of the morning and the weekends.

Then there was a human resources snafu, leading to troubles with, um, getting paid for my work. Yikes.

Needless to say: I am worn thin. Sleep is down, caffeine consumption is up. I have had one of those annoying eye twitches for going on two weeks. Money is tight.

And yet I still need to eat. My requirements for recipes right now are: (1) makes a lot, so I have to cook fewer times per week, (2) keeps well in the fridge or freezer, (3) as little hands-on time as possible, (4) cheap, (5) soothing and delicious, and (6) reasonably healthy, to balance out the Haribo that I have been stress-eating.

Enter this dal. I have long been casting about for a reliable, make-it-again-worthy dal recipe. I have also long been ambivalent about slow cookers. But the time crunch combined with the desire for a good dal recipe to get me over my slow-cooker hang up, and I’m so glad it did.

Like most good slow cooker recipes, you can’t just chuck a ton of stuff into the slow cooker and call it a day: you’ll need to sauté a few ingredients to develop some flavor beforehand. But that’s not a big ask for a recipe that otherwise cooks itself while you sleep (or work, as the case seems to be around here) and makes 6-8 servings.

And when you open the crock pot at the end of the day–the fragrance of the onions, garlic, ginger, and spices practically shout that this is no boring lentil soup. The cilantro yogurt adds a pleasing tanginess (if you’ve ever had a lentil salad with goat cheese or made the Yogurt Soup, you’ll know what I mean). And the quick-pickled onions are an absolute revelation. I knew about soaking onions in water to reduce their bite. But I’d never thought to mix them with lime juice and sugar, which has the same effect of reducing their stomach-burning strength but also adds a wonderful sweet-and-sour flavor that provides a welcome, crunchy contrast to the soft, heavily-spiced lentils.

You don’t need to be low on cash or in the home stretch of writing a book to appreciate this recipe. Though if you are: condolences from a fellow traveler, and hang in there.

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Previously:
One year ago: Roasted Eggplant with Buttermilk-Yogurt Dressing and Pomegranate Seeds
Two years ago: Five-Hour, Three-Meat Ragù (a weekend project, but undeniably luscious and leftovers freeze well!)

And for the Australians in the crowd:
Six months ago: Mexico City Food Guide (featuring an al pastor taco shop so good, my cousin’s friend just got a tattoo of their logo on his leg)
1.5 years ago: Spring Panzanella

Also in “lentils are really good with yogurt”:
Yogurt Soup with Lentils, Barley, and Mint

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Slow Cooker Dal with Quick-Pickled Onions and Cilantro Yogurt Dollop

Dal and yogurt adapted from Slow Cook Modern; onions lifted from Bon Appétit
Serves 6-8 (less if you serve without rice, more if you serve with rice)

Ingredients

Dal
1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2-3-inch (5-7.5cm) piece of ginger, peeled and minced
2 jalapeños, minced (I de-seeded one to reduce the heat)
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 cup diced tomato (or about half of a 14.5-ounce/411g can)
1 pound brown lentils (3 cups, 455g)
1 teaspoon salt
Quick-pickled onions
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
Juice and zest of one lime
Big pinch of sugar
Big pinch of salt
Cilantro yogurt dollop
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup greek yogurt, preferably not non-fat
Pinch of salt

Cooked white rice, optional, to serve

Instructions

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. At the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the ginger, garlic, and jalapeños. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add the spices, sauté for 30 seconds, until very fragrant. Add the tomatoes and 3/4 cup (177mL) water. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan to release the brown stuff (that’s where the flavor is!).

Put this onion-spices-tomato mixture in the slow cooker. Add the lentils, 7 cups (1.65L) water, and salt. Put lid on slow cooker and turn heat to low. Cook for 9 hours.

If you have time now, mix the sliced onions with lime juice, lime zest, sugar, and salt. The flavors get better as the marinate. Otherwise, do it when the crock pot is done.

After 9 hours, open the lid of the crock pot. Pulse dal with an immersion blender until some of the lentils are broken up and soup is slightly thicker. (No immersion blender? Blend a couple of cups of the dal in an upright blender. But if that sounds like a hassle and you’re on a time crunch, you could probably skip this step– your soup will just be slightly less thick.)

Mix the cilantro, yogurt, and salt.

Serve the dal in bowls topped with the yogurt and the pickled onions. Serve rice on the side or under the lentils, if desired.

Notes

Leftovers: Store the onions, dal, yogurt, and rice (if using) separately. Reheat servings of dal and rice together in the microwave, top with yogurt and onions.

Freezing: This soup freezes well. Mix the onions through thoroughly, omit the cilantro yogurt dollop. (You can just top with a big spoonful of yogurt whenever you defrost.)