Winter Dahl

This is a warming Winter supper, packed with nutrients from the lentils and veggies, giving your system a real boost.

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

* 200g red lentils
* 1 large onion
* 2 cloves of garlic
* 1 tin tomaotes
* 5 tablespoons vegetable oil (e.g. olive oil or sesame oil)
* 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
* 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
* 1/4 teaspoon tumeric
* ½ teaspoon cardonom pods (optional)
* About 1 litre water
* Veggies of your choice: turnip, parsnip or carrots chopped into fine sticks work well. It's good to keep colour in the dish, so green vegetables such as spinach or broccoli also make excellent additions.

Method

1. Peel the onion. Chop it in half and then slice finely. Peel and crush the garlic.

2. Crush the cardonom pods to remove the seeds. Discard the outer pods. Heat a thick bottomed pan on the hob until it is hot. Add the spices and cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly.

Put the spices in a pestle & mortar and crush.

3. Heat the oil in the same pan as you heated the spices in. Add the onion and garlic and saute, covered, for 5 minutes.

4. Add the spices and stir well. Cook for another 2 minutes.

5. Add the lentils and about 3/4 of the water. Add any chopped vegetables you're using. Mix well. Cover and simmer gently for 1/2 hour. Check and stir regularly. If it looks like it's drying out, add a little more water.

6. Drain the tomatoes and chop roughly.

7. Once the lentils are softened, add the tomatoes to the pan. Stir well and cook for a further 5 minutes.

If it looks like it's drying out, add a little more water. You're looking for a "thick soup" consistency.

Time From Cupboard-To-Table

About 1 hour

Notes & Variations

Experiment with herbs and spices.