Comfort and Spice
Lentil dahl is something relatively new to alot of us. Simply, it is red lentils slowly cooked with some classic Indian spices in a creamy, tomato based sauce. I love the addition of peppers, sweet potatoes and spinach to bulk it out a little and add interest. Serving it with rice is very traditional and I think me addition of the pickled onions is genius. In order for a dish to taste delicious it must have interest and balance. It must combine a little heat, with a little creaminess, some savoury salty notes and then a little ping of sharpness and brightness which comes here from the pickled onions and the the fresh coriander. Honestly don’t skip the pickled onions, they make it.
As a family, we are eating in a modern, more conscious way now. We are eating much more plant based options, the kind that you don’t even realise you are missing the meat.
I love to use this dahl in a couple of ways. Like here, served with rice and pickled onions . You could add some roast chicken thighs or prawns too.
The other way we have them and this is the kids favourite is as a stack or a tower. Poppoadoms ( only 37 calories each, insane crunch and the kids think I am giving them crisps for dinner), topped with the lentil dahl, crispy fried halloumi cheese ( EPIC) and then topped with the coconut yogurt, pickled onions and coriander. I have a reel over on my instagram for for this one. I hope you love these too.
Oh sorry, I should have mentioned, this dahl is excellent cold the next day for a work lunchbox mixed with fresh salad leaves.
Lentil Dahl with Sweet Potato and Spinach served with Rice & Pickled Onions
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 30 g oil
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 cm ginger
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1 red pepper
- 150 g spinach
- 1 tin coconut milk
- 1 rin chickpeas
- 300 g lentils
- 10 g Cumin
- 5 g Garam masala
- 3 g turmeric
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 30 g coriander
- Salt and pepper
Pickled red onion
- 1 red onion
- 100 ml apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 50 mls water
- Optional pickling spices
Instructions
Method
- Mise en Place: Peel the onion, garlic and sweet potatoes. Deseed and dice the pepper. Peel and grate the garlic, ginger and turmeric. Drain the tinned chickpeas, rinse and set aside.
- Heat 15g oil in the pan. Sauté the onion and garlic with ginger and turmeric low and slow until it is golden and caramelised. This will take about 20 minutes. Add in the cumin, garam masala, chilli and cook out for 3/4 minutes.
- Add in the sweet potato, red peppers and lentils. Cook out for 4-5 minutes. Add in the boullion/stock/bone broth and water and allow it to cook low and slow. 5.After 20 minutes add in the coconut milk and allow to simmer and bubble.
- Pickled Onions: Slice the onions. Place them in the pickling liquor and allow to pickle for about an hour. Before serving add the spinach and chickpeas and warm through.
- Cook, drain and fluff the basmati rice. Spoon the rice onto one side of the plate, spoon the creamy lentils on the next and garnish with pickled onions, a dollop of coconut yoghurt, fresh coriander and some toasted seeds or nuts.
