Dal fry is a typical Indian lentil dish (and popular on restaurant menus) made with cumin, turmeric, onion, tomato, garlic and lentils. I’ve simplified the recipe and turned it into a holiday gift mix in a jar. If you have friends and family who are vegetarian or Indian food lovers, they will be delighted to receive this as a Christmas gift! And you will love making this gift – its easy, fun, vegetarian, vegan AND cheap!

This dal fry mix in a jar was my Christmas present for a dear friend S, who is a new mother and is running her own business. You can imagine just how busy she must be! I figured a tasty dal mix in a jar, that she can make with almost no effort at all will be the perfect holiday gift for a busy mom like her.

l’ve used a combination of red lentils (masoor dal) and green lentils. Make sure you use the flat round green lentils from the bulk section of the grocery store. Dont use whole Indian green lentils (green moong dal) because it takes longer to cook. You can substitute the green lentils with yellow letils (yellow moong dal).

Caramelized onions is a common flavor base for Indian curries. To emulate some of that flavor, I use dried onion flakes in this recipe. They give the lentils a great, deep, slow cooked taste. You can find dried onion flakes in the spice section of the grocery store or in the bulk section.

Writing (or printing) out the recipe/instruction card for this mix is your chance to really personalize the gift. I like to make my instruction cards humorous – like adding inside jokes, cartoons etc. The point is to get funny and creative with the instruction cards!

For another homemade holiday gift idea for vegetarians, take a look at my cajun dirty rice mix in a jar.

Dal Fry Mix in a Jar Recipe

makes 1 jar

For the gift jar
One 1 pint jar
a 5″x5″ piece of fabric
a thin rubber band
some ribbon
Cardstock or any thick paper for writing instructions

Ingredients
¾ cup green lentils (not green moong dal)
¾ cup red lentils
4 tablespoons dry onion flakes
1 ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon salt

Pour the green lentils into the jar first. Then add onion flakes, garlic powder, turmeric, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Then pour in the red lentils.

If there is a gap between the top layer and the lid, crush a kitchen towel and stuff it into the gap. This will prevent the lentils and spices from moving around, and will preserve the pretty layers in the jar.

Seal jar tightly. Cover the lid with the fabric square. Place a rubber band over the fabric to secure it around the neck of the jar. Tie a ribbon in a bow around the neck of the jar, hiding the rubber band.

Write or print out these instructions on a thick piece of paper and attach to gift jar:

“You will need:
A large, deep skillet with a lid
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon oil

Heat the oil in the skillet. Add tomatoes, and sauté on medium heat for about a minute. Add the contents of the jar, and stir for 2 minutes.

Pour in 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover the pan. Simmer the dal for about 20 minutes, or till cooked. Add more water while cooking, if needed.

Serve hot with steamed rice.

Serves 4″

Pierce a little hole in the upper corner of the instructions paper, and tie it to the ribbon. Or place the instructions against the jar, and tie it around the jar using ribbon or a rubber band.

Do you love giving homemade holiday gifts? Do you have friends or family who are vegan or vegetarian? If you answered yes, this is the perfect vegetarian friendly, homemade Christmas food gift idea for you! This cajun dirty rice mix in a jar takes just minutes to put together, and is very affordable too!

I sent a jar of this cajun dirty rice mix to my friend Mahi, who is a vegetarian and fellow foodie. Make sure you visit her new blog Bite Out of Life for easy recipes, restaurant reviews and passionate food commentary.

Its a lot of fun to make this mix-in-a-jar-gift. Pick whatever fabrics you like for the jar, and match it with a cute ribbon. Any piece of scrap fabric lying around will do. But if you are making a lot of these gift jars, then a trip to the fabric store will be well worth it.

If you buy the rice for this recipe from the bulk aisle, it will work out pretty cheap. I use brown rice in this recipe, but white will work just as well. But remember that white rice will cook sooner, so you will have to change the cooking time to 10-15 minutes in your recipe card.

If you plan ahead, you really dont have to go buy new jars. Just save up jars of pasta sauce, jams etc. All you need is a jar with a tight fitting lid. Wash the jars well, and soak them in soapy hot water to remove the labels. I prefer to use glass jars because they are clear and show off the contents well.

Cajun Dirty Rice Mix in a Jar Recipe

For the gift jar
one 1 pint jar with a tight fitting lid
a 5″x5″ piece of fabric
a thin rubber band
some ribbon
Cardstock or any thick paper for writing instructions

Ingredients
1 cup brown rice. (You can also use white rice, but reduce cooking time to 10-15 mins in the instructions)
2 teaspoons paprika
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 large stock cube with its wrapping, I like knorrs

Cut a rectangle piece of paper (about 4×3 but doesnt have to be exact). Place the paper in the mouth of the jar to form a funnel. Pouring the ingredients through the funnel into the jar will be easier and less messy.

Layer the ingredients one at a time into the jar in this order – half the rice, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, remaining half of rice, wrapped stock cube.

Fit the lid on the jar and screw it on tight. Cover the lid with the fabric square. Place a rubber band over the fabric to secure it around the neck of the jar. Tie a ribbon in a bow around the neck of the jar, hiding the rubber band.

Write or print out these instructions on a thick piece of paper and attach to gift jar:
“Bring 2 cups of water plus the stock cube to a boil in a large sauce pan. Stir so the stock cube dissolves. When the water boils, add remaining contents of the jar. Stir. Reduce heat to low. Cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for 30 minutes or till the rice is cooked, but not mushy.

Serves 4 as a side dish.”

Pierce a little hole in the upper corner of the instructions paper, and tie it to the ribbon. Or place the instructions against the jar, and tied it around the jar using ribbon or a rubber band.