Dhal: A Guyanese Staple

When I was a baby one of the first solid meals I had likely had dhal. I loved dhal and roti growing up. Alexis grew up with dhal and rice, and sometimes she refuses to eat unless she gets dhal. That happened this weekend when my parents came to visit on a cold Saturday morning. I'm glad, because to those who have not grown up with it, it seems to be an acquired taste. It is something every Guyanese should know how to make, yet I rarely make it, since my mom makes so much of it she is always sending some for us.

Now I can have dhal alone in a cup with a heaping spoonful of achaar. That's the best. Dhal over curry and rice is still nice. And sometimes, for breakfast, dhal and roti is still a treat. I'm so glad Alexis loves it. I hope her little brother does as well.

Alexis and mom washing dhal

Alexis and mom chunkay dhal

Ingredients

Dhal (dry)		2 cups
Water		2 litres
Garlic		12 gloves, sliced
Geera		4 tbsp
Turmeric		2 tsp
Canola Oil		1/4 cup
Salt		1 tbsp
Maririri Pepper		4 whole (optional)

Preparation:

1. Rinse dhal until the water runs clean (about 2-3 times).
2. In a pressure cooker turn heat to high. Add the turmeric, half the geera and half the garlic. 
3. And rinsed dhal and add the water so it covers the dhal at least half a finger.
4. Lock the pressure cooker on high heat.  cook until the pressure sound changes (about 5 minutes) and the pressure valve pops up. Leave on burner but turn heat off. 
5. Once pressure is finished cooking (use the valve to check) check that the dhal is almost melted and crushes to the touch. If not, take the time to pressure it once more.
6. Once the pressure has released, open the lid (away from you to avoid the steam),
7. Add salt.
8. With a hand blender, blend the dhal thoroughly. 
9. (optional step) If you want it spicy, add the maririri peppers now.
10. Turn the heat to medium high.
11. On a separate burner, heat a small pan with a 1\4 cup of oil until it is pitching hot. 
12. Add two heaped tbsp of chopped garlic and two heaped tsp of geera. Do this carefully - the oil may start to spit. 
13. Stir until mixture is bubbling. Just before it gets too dark, plunge The entire pan into the dhal. Make sure the entire mixture has been incorporated into the dhal.This step is 'chunkay'ing the dhal. I've heard this reference to mean 'tempering' the dhal, but it's this step that makes dhal so tasty.
14. Stir and simmer for five more minutes and turn off the heat.

Red Wine Venison Stew with Dumplings

[NEEDS PIC]

En's friends and co workers go hunting every year, and sometimes we will get a nice hunk of venison. When this happens I love to make venison stew. For the wine, I like using Cono Sur. It is my go to cooking wine (good to drink, good to cook) and is wonderfully inexpensive. Other reds are not so forgiving in a stew.

My parents are not really big on stews that are not Guyanese (i.e. heavy on potatoes and thyme), and to them, dumplings are duff, the Guyanese torpedo shaped boil and fry bread, but they did find this yummy.

Now that I'm pregnant and going on my second maternity leave, wine based cooking isn't an option (for the next few years), but this will come back once the kids are a little older (5 seems reasonable). Then again, I haven't had any venison delivered lately. This does work just as well with boar, bison, or even beef.


Ingredients - Stew:
* 1.5 kg trimmed venison meat, cut into 3-4 cm chunks
* 750ml good red wine
* 6 cloves of garlic
* 3 juniper berries crushed
* 1tsp thyme
* 4 bay leaves
* Vegetable oil for frying
* 60g butter
* 2 onions, finely chopped
* 3 tbsp plain flour
* 1/2 tbsp tomato purée
* 1 1/2 litres dark meat stock
* Sea salt & fresh black pepper

Ingredients - Dumplings:
* 1/2 cup plain flour
* 1tsp baking powder
* 60g butter
* 1tbsp chopped parsley
* 1tbsp finely chopped celery leaves
* 1/2 tsp ground celery seeds
* Water to mix
* Sea salt & fresh black pepper


Directions:

* Marinate venison in stainless steel or ceramic bowl in the fridge for two dayswith the red wine, garlic, thyme, juniper and bay leaf.
* Drain meat , reserve marinade, and dry the pieces on some kitchen paper.
* Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy frying pan, lightly flour the meat with a tablespoon of the flour, salt and pepper and fry the meat on a high heat, a few pieces at a time, until nicely browned.
* Heat butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and sautee onions until soft.
* Add flour and tomato purée and stir over a low heat for a minute.
* Slowly add the marinade, stirring constantly to avoid lumps forming. Bring to the boil and simmer until it has reduced by half.
* Add meat stock and venison, bring back to the boil, cover with a lid and simmer gently for about 11/2 hours until the meat is tender.
* It's difficult to put an exact time on cooking braised meats: half an hour extra may be required.
* The sauce should thicken sufficiently. If not, dilute a little cornflour in some water and stir into the sauce and simmer for a few minutes.
* Meanwhile, make the dumplings. Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl and add half a teaspoon of salt.
* Mix in the butter, parsley and celery leaves and ground celery seeds, then add enough water to form a sticky dough.
* Flour your hands and roll the dough into 12 little balls.
* Poach the dumplings directly in the stew for the final 15 minutes of cooking. They will float in the  stew when cooked..