For a couple of months now, my sisters and I have been trying to introduce vegetarian dishes into our diet, with hopes to cut down the amount of meat we consume. With that in mind, there has been a lot of recipe hunting on the web along with the stack of books I have managed to collect over the years, for ideas and inspiration. Here is a flavour filled lentil curry that goes perfectly with rice or flat bread. It’s another one of those one-pot wonders! I would suggest using a heavy based or cast iron pot if you have one. That way you can allow it to cook for longer on a low heat to develop the flavours even further. Secondly, every time a recipe calls for onions, I always make the habit of adding spring onions as well, its adds a lot of flavour. If you have them lying around, then do add them to this recipe or your repertoire of curries. Lastly, this recipe can always be made a head of time. The flavours develop really well over time.

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Ingredients

• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Ginger, minced
• 1 tsp Garlic, minced
• A bunch of Coriander stalks, chopped finely
• A handful of Coriander
• 3 Cardamon pods, crushed
• 1 tsp Coriander powder
• 1 tsp Cumin powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 1/2 tsp Garam masala
• 400g chopped tomatoes, (1 can)
• 100g lentils
• Handful of spinach, cut into ribbons
• 1.5L Vegetable stock
• Butter
• Oil

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Directions

• To a preheated heavy based pot, add a heaped tsp of butter and a tbsp of oil.
• Sauté the onions until lightly browned, then add the coriander stalks, minced ginger and garlic. Cook them for about a minute.
• Add the cardamon pods, turmeric, cumin and coriander powder. Mix it through before adding in the lentils, chopped tomatoes and half of the coriander leaves.
• Cook the tomatoes for a couple of minutes to release their acidity, then pour in just enough water to cover the lentils. Allow it to cook for 30 mins.
• Top it up with vegetable stock until the lentils are tender (you may or may not use up 1.5L). Season to taste.
• Add in the spinach and cook through for 10 mins.
• When it’s almost ready, add in garam masala and chopped coriander (the more, the merrier!). Serve with rice or flat bread of your choice.