Spiced Dal Sourdough Skillet
You have a little bit of this and a little bit of this left in the fridge, but no cohesive ingredients. You have some leftover Dal that’s too little to freeze and too much to throw away. This Sourdough Dal Sweet Potato Skillet is your answer. This recipe is a veggie variation of Lisa Bass sourdough skillet.
Equipment
- 1 Large cast Iron skillet Alternatively, use a baking tray
- 1 Cutting Board
Ingredients
Aromatics
- 2 cloves of garlic
Pantry Items
- 1 tablespoon olive oil alternatively use coconut oil or ghee
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
Filling
- 2 Whole Mozzarella that should be roughly 2 cups or 480 grams
- 1,5 cup leftover dal that's 360 grams
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes that's 240 grams
- 1 or two cubes of Frozen Spinach or kale
- 1 cup of frozen Peas that’s roughly 240 grams
- 1,5 cups of Sourdough starter that’s 360 grams
- 1/4 cup Sesame seeds optional (that’s 60 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 Fahrenheit or 200 degrees Celsius.
- Sauté the garlic until fragrant and cherry tomatoes in the cast iron skillet on the stove until fragrant.
- Add the frozen peas over the top and let them thaw in the pan.
- Meanwhile, boil a liter of water and pour this over your 3 cubes of frozen spinach.
- While the veggies are cooking on the stove, in a large mixing bowl, mix together the sourdough starter, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
- When the veggies are done cooking, add the dal into the cast iron skillet and season with salt and pepper.
- Spread the sourdough mixture over the top of the veggies, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until bread is cooked through and golden brown on top. If you’re not sure, poke the top of the skillet with a toothpick, chopstick or knife. It should come out clean, just like when you’re making sure a cake is done. I love leaving it in until the top is just ever so slightly crispy.
Notes
No sourdough starter on hand, no problem: Mix an equal amount of water and flour to create a mixture that has the consistency of cake batter – this means it should be wet and sticky. Now add the salt, baking soda and baking flour. Knead to incorporate until all parts are well incorporated. Because this recipe doesn’t require a real rise or doubling of the dough, you can use this mixture immediately after preparing. It won’t have the depth of flavor of sourdough, but work well all the same.
Add canned black or kidney beans instead of dal: If you don’t have any dal on hand, add canned black or kidney beans instead. This will give you a nutritious substitute for the protein of the lentils. If the plain canned beans are too bland for you, you can fry these separately, or before adding the other vegetables to your sourdough skillet. I love adding fresh cilantro when I use black beans.
Use kale when you have no spinach: I use frozen spinach and frozen kale interchangeably here. Spinach will give you a milder flavor with less texture and bite, which is why I prefer it. Kale has more fiber and will stand out more in the dish but works just as well.
Use white potato instead of sweet potato: This is a great way to make this recipe more affordable, depending on where you live. Generally local potatoes are the cheapest which means you can substitute for your local variety. Make sure to cook these potatoes separately before assembling the sourdough skillet. I always use leftover potatoes that I have in the fridge that are already cooked. Sweet potatoes are sweeter and creamier, which is why I love them, but white potatoes work just fine.
Make it dairy free using cashews: A great way to make this dairy free is to roast a few cashews in a separate skillet and sprinkle them over the top of the vegetables like you would cheese. Roasted cashews have a lovely, rich flavor. They also take on some of the moisture of the vegetables once they are covered with the sourdough mixture, but still retain a little crunch. If you’re looking for a softer texture that mimics the mozzarella, soak cashews in water overnight or until they can be crushed between your thumb and forefinger.