Special Coconut Dal Curry Recipe

Last night we weren’t sure what to eat and Vineeta just pulled this little beauty out of the bag.  It is a deliciously creamy Indian style curry that has a really subtle sweetness to it.  Serve it with a 50:50 mix of brown and red rice for a meal that tastes so good that you think it must be bad for you.  But check out the ingredients list and you’ll see that it is actually pretty good.  If you ever craze a really naughty curry but know that it isn’t good for you, this dish is exactly what you have been looking for.

Recipe Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
• 2 red onions finely chopped
• 1/2 tub of red lentils (dal)
• 2 teaspoons of cumin
• Handful of real curry leaves
• 2 teaspoons of mustard seeds
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon unrefined salt
• 1/2 red chilli fresh
• 1.5 cm2 of ginger finely chopped
• 5 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons of grapeseed oil (or oil of your choice)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 5 balls frozen spinach, or 2 handfuls of very finely chopped fresh spinach

Method

Start cooking lentils in a pressure cooker along with rice for serving.  You can do this without a pressure cooker but it will take longer.  Cook according to packet instructions or your own experience.

In a wide saucepan, heat the oil over a medium high heat. Put the curry leaves in and let them sizzle. Then add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and sizzle (but don’t let them burn).

Then add the chopped garlic, ginger, chilli and onion.

Close the lid on the pan and leave for a couple of minutes. Add the chopped peppers and mix together, then put the lid back on and simmer gently for about 15 minutes until gooey and slightly caramelised. Check occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Then add half the coconut milk and stir it up. Be careful not to let it boil. Add the spinach and stir until it is mixed thoroughly. Add the remaining coconut milk and warm.

Then it is ready to serve with the rice.

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Posted by Tom Greenwood on 2 February 2015