Ingredients850ml water
1 tsp minced or ground ginger 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp salt 225g green or brown lentils (don't use red as they disintegrate) 2 potatoes, peeled & diced 1 Tbsp light olive oil or coconut oil 2 Tbsp butter 1 large onion, peeled & diced 1 green pepper, de-seeded & diced 1 tsp minced or ground ginger 1 tsp coriander powder 2 tsp curry powder or curry paste finely chopped fresh or dried chillies (to taste) ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper ½ tsp white pepper 1 tsp tomato paste 1 tsp finely chopped garlic 4 tomatoes, topped, tailed & diced |
MethodIn a saucepan containing the water, add the ginger, cumin, turmeric & salt. Bring to a boil.
Stir in the lentils, let it come back to a gentle boil, turn down the heat & simmer for 5 mins. Add the diced potatoes and continue cooking uncovered for 15 mins. Stir the mixture occasionally to ensure that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. While the lentil mixture is cooking, heat up the olive oil & butter in another pan and fry the onion & green pepper over a fairly high heat until the onion has softened. Lower the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients (ginger, coriander, curry powder/paste, chillies according to taste (refer to the Chilli Hotness Guide), black & white pepper, tomato paste, garlic and diced tomatoes). Cook for 1 min and add it to the lentil mixture. Taste and season with more salt, curry powder or chillies as desired. With the pan still uncovered, cook gently for a further 10 mins while stirring occasionally. The curry should be rested for at least 30 mins. Curries improve with age and the longer they are left to mature, the better. They can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days & should be re‑heated before serving. |
Serving Suggestion
Serve as an accompaniment to a meat curry or serve as a main meal for 2 people with short grain (white or brown) or long grain (basmati) rice, natural yoghurt & Sambals (Curry Sides).
Variation
Substitute the potatoes with 1 large aubergine for a meatier version.
