feat. lentils growing in our fields (ever seen growing lentils before?)
Saturday 27 July 2024
Booking will open from 1 May 2024
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Wakelyns was a UK pioneer in growing lentils in conjunction with Hodmedods – experimentally from 2015, and commercially from 2017. See here for more information about all that!
Join us on Saturday 27 July 2024 to cook, learn about and enjoy Dal, lentils and more.
We’ll be using coral and black (‘beluga’) lentils from our 2023 harvest (along with guest lentils from other UK growers), just when our 2024 crop (olive, coral and black lentils) should be nearly ready to harvest in our agroforestry alleys.
How’s that for ‘short dal miles’?!
The fun will start from 11 am and run to early evening. Lots to eat (dal and more!) , learn and enjoy for all the family (kids welcome) including live music.
| Expert dal chefs from Suffolk and beyond will be demonstrating their dal (and making other delicious dishes to go with the dal). Be inspired! And enjoy the flavours. | The Wakelyns Bakery team will be making flat breads from YQ population wheat (developed at Wakelyns) in our farmyard wood-fired oven. And providing delicious cakes and other treats all afternoon. |
| Bring a sample of your own home-made dal for it to be discussed and enjoyed by everyone else (including our expert panel)! Treat it like the village ‘produce show’! | Josiah and the team from Hodmedods will be talking lentils and pulses! Learn all about UK grown pulses. What they are, their history, and why should be growing and eating more of them. |
| See lentils growing in the agroforestry fields here at Wakelyns. A first for you? | Generally catch up with what’s happening here at Wakelyns via a self-guided QR code tour! It’s lovely just to walk around Wakelyns! |
Here’s a reminder of the fun from our first Dal Festival in 2023:
more here from 2023
Everyone has their own favourite (maybe family?) recipe. Wakelyns Dal Festival is about sharing, celebrating and enjoying all that lentils, and dal, can bring us. UK grown organic vegetable protein. And delicious too. What’s not to like?
Bring your own dal (or dal-related food) to show off and share.
Or let us know in advance if you’d like to be one of the team demonstrating how you make your favourite dal – whether that’s your grannie’s recipe, or one you found on internet.
We’ll supply the ingredients and equipment.
Who mentioned masterchef?
Booking will open from 1 May 2024
If you don’t already receive our e-newsletters, put yourself on the list to be kept in touch here
World Dawn Chorus Day Bird Walk on 5 May 2024 (5:30 am - 1:00 pm)World Dawn Chorus Day Tree Walk on 5 May 2024 (10:00 am - 5:00 pm)
Wakelyns Bird Walk on 22 June 2024 (9:30 am - 3:00 pm)
Wakelyns Tree Walk on 22 June 2024 (10:00 am - 4:00 pm)
Wakelyns Bird & Butterfly Walk on 28 July 2024 (9:30 am - 3:00 pm)
Wakelyns Tree Walk on 28 July 2024 (10:00 am - 4:00 pm)
Wakelyns Bird & Nature Walk on 31 August 2024 (9:30 am - 3:00 pm)
Wakelyns Tree Walk on 31 August 2024 (10:00 am - 4:00 pm)
Here’s Josiah from Hodmedods with a video explainer about lentils at Wakelyns
What is Dal?
(with thanks to The British Dal Festival)
dal¹ /dɑːl/
(also dhal, daal)1. A split pulse (ie lentil, bean, pea or other dried legume seed)
2. A stew, soup or similar dish made of pulses, split or wholeThere are countless classic dals from across the Indian subcontinent, often named for their main pulse ingredient, such as chana dal, meaning split black chickpeas. Other names describe other ingredients or characteristics of the dish, for example dal makhani or “buttery dal”.
Cuisines around the world have similar traditional dishes, from the refried beans of Mexico and fava dips of Greece to Britain’s pease pudding and mushy peas.
The Dictionary of Dal
The naming of dal and pulses can be confusing. English names are used very variously, with split yellow peas, split mung beans and split urad beans all different species of legume but all often described as lentils. Hindi names are generally much more precisely used.
chana dal Split black or desi variety chickpeas (Cicer aretinum). Other chickpea varieties are sometimes used and split yellow peas, which are very similar in appearance, are often substituted. Find recipes for chana dal… chickpea (also garbanzo bean) A pulse of the species Cicer aretinum with two principal varieties, the large and light kabuli and the small and dark desi or black chickpea. Find recipes for whole chickpeas… fava bean (also faba bean or field bean) A pulse of the species Vicia faba, widely grown in the UK but little eaten here. Fava beans are smaller seeded varieties of the broad bean species, left to fully mature and dry before harvest. Both whole and split fava beans are popular ingredients in the Middle East and Mediterranean. Find recipes for split fava beans… gram flour Flour milled from chickpeas. Find recipes for gram flour… masoor dal Split brown / red lentils (Lens culinaris). Find recipes for masoor dal… mung dal (also moong dal) Split mung beans (Vigna radiata). Find recipes for mung dal… rajma Whole red kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) sabut masoor Whole brown lentils (Lens culinaris). sabut moong
(also sabut mung, hare mung, hare moong)Whole mung beans (Vigna radiata) split green peas Split green or blue varieties of common pea (Pisum sativum), grown in the UK split yellow peas Split yellow varieties of common pea (Pisum sativum), grown in the UK toor dal (also toovar dal) Split pigeon peas (Cajanus cajan). Find recipes for toor dal… urad dal Split urad beans (Vigna mungo) urad gram Whole urad beans (Vigna mungo) vaal dal Split hyacinth beans (Lablab purpureus). Fava beans or butter beans are often substituted.
