Coconut Dhal with Spinach & Tomatoes

• 350 gdried red split lentils, rinsed
• 4garlic cloves, minced
• 200 gbaby spinach
• 300 gcherry tomatoes, halved
• 2onions, finely sliced
• 25 gfresh ginger, grated
• 1 tspground turmeric
• 2 tspground cumin
• 1 tspchilli flakes
• 400 mlcoconut milk
• 800 mlvegetable stock
• salt
• 1 tspmustard seeds
• 10fresh curry leaves
• 3 tbspcoconut oil
• Black pepper
• 600 gcooked basmati rice, optional; warm naan is an alternative (optional)
• 1lime, cut into wedges (optional)
• 200 gkachumber made with diced cucumber, tomato, red onion, coriander and lemon juice (optional)

Method

1. 1Heat the coconut oil in a large pan over a medium heat until shimmering. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves and let them sizzle and pop for 30 seconds; stand back as they can spit.
2. 2Add the sliced onions and cook for 10 minutes until softened and golden at the edges. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, ground cumin, and chilli flakes and stir for 2 minutes until deeply fragrant.
3. 3Tip in the rinsed red lentils and stir to coat them in the spiced onion base. Pour over the vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
4. 4Reduce the heat and simmer the lentils, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent sticking, until they begin to break down.
5. 5Pour in the coconut milk, stir well, and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes until the dhal is thick and the lentils are completely soft and creamy.
6. 6Add the halved cherry tomatoes and the baby spinach in large handfuls, stirring each batch in until wilted. Cook for 3 minutes more until the tomatoes just begin to soften and split.
7. 7Season to taste. Serve with optional lime wedges and cooked rice, or warm naan, and the optional kachumber. For batch cooking, cool the dhal in shallow containers within 2 hours, then refrigerate or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat until piping hot throughout. Prepare rice or naan fresh when serving.

Per serving

kcal

656

protein

30g

fibre

19.9g

carbs

67.3g

fat

33.7g