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Love is in my Tummy

Plant-based flavor

August 14, 2017 By Tina Dawson 12 Comments

Garlic Scape Dal (Lentil Curry)

Serve up this delicious + fragrant Garlic Scape Dal (Lentil Curry) with rice, roti or naan for a quick weeknight meal!

Serve up this delicious + fragrant Garlic Scape Dal (Lentil Curry) with rice, roti or naan for a quick weeknight meal! VEGAN / Gluten-Free!

It is impossible to walk past a bin of garlic scapes at the farmer’s market and not do a double-take at the unruly entanglement of seemingly extra-terrestrial life. But it’s unearthly visual is only partly the  allure: for those in the know, garlic scapes are fascinating for their short season and general unavailability, making it somewhat a rarity in the culinary world.

I myself was uninitiated to the world of scapes until about a year ago, when I saw it on a friend’s blog and made a mental note to keep an eye out for it. And it wasn’t until last week, when exploring a new Asian supermarket in the area, that I stumbled upon these beauties. A year ago, I probably wouldn’t have known what it was, or what to do with it, but this time I was prepared. I grabbed a few stems and waving my hands frantically in the air, attempted to show it to my husband who was busy choosing tomatoes in the aisle across from me. He answered my enthusiasm with an uninterested shrug and went back to the tomatoes, leaving me standing there, beaming alone at finally having found ‘The scape’!

Serve up this delicious + fragrant Garlic Scape Dal (Lentil Curry) with rice, roti or naan for a quick weeknight meal! VEGAN / Gluten-Free!

What are Garlic Scapes?

It is common knowledge that garlic, as we know it, is a bulb that grows beneath the ground, but the lesser known scapes are the ‘flowering’ part of the garlic plant that grows above ground. The garlic plant does not flower, but rather sends out these flower ‘stems’ instead. Farmers remove the scapes a few weeks before harvest to help divert the plant’s nutrition to the bulbs instead. But what most people do not know is that this part of the plant, that’s usually discarded as waste, is perfectly edible, not to mention incredibly delicious! Which is why you don’t see garlic scapes in your usual grocery store, even during the season! Most people have to drive far and out to where it’s sold, and that too, only through word of mouth!

Even though they look like the weird, loopy cousins of the spring onion, they are in fact firmer (denser than French beans, almost like a raw sweet potato), and have a mild garlic taste, making them a wonderful substitute in places that call for garlic. You can also grind them up as pesto, grill them, roast them, add them to curries, sauces and stocks, and some even add garlic scapes in flower arrangements for their unique and exotic look! No two scapes are alike, and the way they bend and turn varies from stalk to stalk, and is a beauty to behold!

Although, the slightly ophidiophobic me can’t help wonder about the nightmare that would ensue when a bunch of green snakes find their way into a garlic scape bin! *shudder* 

Serve up this delicious + fragrant Garlic Scape Dal (Lentil Curry) with rice, roti or naan for a quick weeknight meal! VEGAN / Gluten-Free!

I’ve never tasted garlic scapes before, and other than hearsay and online descriptions, did not really know what to expect when cutting into one. So I decided to use it for the first time in this Garlic Scape Dal fry- to me, Dal is the ulterior blank canvas of Indian cuisine that you can paint on with infinite flavors. It is the quintessential comfort food that is capable of being so much more, if you set your mind to it. [Here’s a Black Truffle infused Dal that I enjoy making every now and then]

There is an art to cooking lentils, and it pains me to see it ignored. You first soak the lentil (I used Toor dal here) till it’s soft enough to be cut into with your nails. Drain the soaking water, rinse and add more water and cook till it’s soft enough to be mashed with little-to-no-effort into a creamy concoction. You can add flavors while cooking the lentils, or introduce the flavors at the end, or do both (as I like to do).

And if you’re eating garlic scapes for the first time, this Garlic Scape Dal is a good way to start your scape journey! And the next time you see a bin of these weird squiggly things in your market, grab them before they’re gone!

Serve up this delicious + fragrant Garlic Scape Dal (Lentil Curry) with rice, roti or naan for a quick weeknight meal! VEGAN / Gluten-Free!

When you make this Garlic Scape Dal (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here!

Garlic Scape Dal

Created by Tina Dawson on August 13, 2017

Serve up this delicious + fragrant Garlic Scape Dal (Lentil Curry) with rice, roti or naan for a quick weeknight meal! VEGAN / Gluten-Free!

  • Prep Time:10m
  • Cook Time:25m
  • Total Time:35m
  • Serves: 2
  • Yield: About 2-3 cups

Ingredients

For cooking the lentils

  • 1/2 c Toor Dal, soaked (see post above)
  • 3/4 c water
  • 1 small tomato, chopped
  • 1 tsp. cumin seeds
  • 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
  • 1/4 tsp. red chilli powder (optional)

For the final seasoning

  • 2 tsp. sesame oil (or any other vegetable oil)
  • 1/4 tsp. mustard seeds
  • 1/2 tsp. urad dal / split black gram (optional - substitute with your choice of nuts instead)
  • 1 dry red chilli
  • 1/2 c chopped red onions
  • 1/2 c chopped garlic scapes
  • Salt, to taste

Instructions

  1. Combine the soaked lentils, water, chopped tomatoes, cumin, turmeric and red chilli powder. Pressure cook till soft. If using other alternative methods to cook lentils, adjust water accordingly.
  2. Once cooked, mash until smooth and season with salt. Set aside. You can also dilute the lentils to the thickness you prefer.
  3. While the lentils are cooking, heat the sesame oil in a small pan and once hot add the mustard seeds. When the spluttering stops, add the urad dal, dry red chilli and when the dal turns golden brown, add the chopped onion and garlic scapes.
  4. Cover partially and cook the on medium-low heat until the onions and garlic scapes are cooked down and slightly browned.
  5. Remove from heat and pour over the cooked lentils. Stir and serve hot with rice, roti or naan.
  • Print

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Filed Under: All Recipes, Cuisines, Gluten-free, Indian, Lunch/Dinner, Sauces and curry, Table for two, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: dal, garlic scapes, lentils

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Molly Kumar says

    August 14, 2017 at 12:10 pm

    WoW, that’s such a delicious and flavorful dal. I’m not very great fan of garlic scape but I’d totally try this as all the spices and tempering makes it so yuuuum! The pictures look so gorgeous.

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      August 14, 2017 at 1:34 pm

      Thanks Molly!

      Reply
  2. Edyta says

    August 14, 2017 at 11:18 am

    I never even heard of garlic scapes until now. I will be definitely on a look out for them on my farmer’s market. Love the lentils recipe.

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      August 14, 2017 at 1:33 pm

      Yaay! I’ve set another on a scape journey now!

      Reply
  3. Tina says

    August 14, 2017 at 11:15 am

    I really like your dal recipe, I am saving this for later. Dal is one of the only Indian dishes my hubby loves. He’s hard to cook for, do know anyone like that? Who doesn’t love everything about Indian food?!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      August 14, 2017 at 1:33 pm

      Ha ha, that’s true Tina! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Daniela says

    August 14, 2017 at 11:13 am

    I LOVE garlic scapes, but had never thought to use them in daal. I’ll definitely give this recipe a try next time I can find them!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      August 14, 2017 at 1:33 pm

      Sounds like a plan!

      Reply
  5. Souzan Karadsheh says

    August 14, 2017 at 10:33 am

    Gorgeous dal! and how comforting!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      August 14, 2017 at 10:37 am

      Thanks Souzan! 🙂

      Reply
  6. sue | theviewfromgreatisland says

    August 14, 2017 at 10:17 am

    You’re an artist Tina, this is stunning, once again! I have to confess I’ve never gad garlic scapes, but I have a friend who swears by them and makes a garlic scape pesto every year. I love dal, so i’ll definitely try this if I can find the scapes.

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      August 14, 2017 at 10:38 am

      Awww thanks so much Sue! 🙂 I had so much fun shooting these weird thingies! And keep your eye out for them! They are so delicious!

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Tina - the human behind all the content you see on this blog. Welcome to my little corner of the internet where I create flavorful and unique plant-based recipes.

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