Red lentil dahl

Ingredients

• Olive oil or coconut oil, for frying
• 2 onions, finely sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2.5-cm/1-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 x 400-g/14-oz. can chopped tomatoes
• 270 g/1 ½ cups dried red lentils
• 2 carrots, finely diced
• 120g/2 cups kale, shredded
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To serve

• Steamed rice
• Pinch of chilli flakes/hot red pepper flakes
• Freshly chopped coriander
• Coconut cream

Method

Heat enough oil to thinly coat the base of a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the onions, season to taste with salt and cook for about 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to caramelise. Add a splash of water if the pan gets too dry.

Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Stir in the spices and cook for 1 more minute. Add the tomatoes and cook until bubbling again, then add 950 ml/4 cups of water and the lentils. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil.

Add the carrots, cover, and simmer for about 20–30 minutes until the lentils are starting to break down and the carrots are tender. Stir in some black pepper and the kale.

Turn off the heat, leave the pan covered and allow to stand for 15 minutes before serving with rice, chilli flakes/hot red pepper flakes, coriander/cilantro and a drizzle of coconut cream.

Recipe extracted from First-time Vegan by Leah Vanderveldt, Ryland Peters & Small, RRP £9.99

Visit our vegan recipes section for more meat-free meal ideas