The Simplest Daal

It amazes me every time I cook this meal how a few simple (and cheap) ingredients can turn into such a beautifully vibrant and nutritious dish. We ate it last night crowned with a fried egg but it would be equally amazing just by itself. The girls have it stirred through rice and with either an egg (a bit kegeree-esque) or with roasted salmon. 

The optional Tarka adds so much flavour so I’d highly recommend you do it! I always use curry leaves but they can be hard to come by so just leave them out if you can’t get your hands on some.

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2 tbsp sunflower oil

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

4 garlic cloves, finely sliced or chopped

1 heaped cup red lentils

1 cup cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 litre (4 cups) water or vegetable stock

For the Tarka:

2 tbsp sunflower oil 

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp chilli flakes 

8 curry leaves 

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Pop all the daal ingredients in a medium sized saucepan and place over a medium heat. Bring to the boil and then reduce to simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to stop it catching on the bottom.

Five minutes before your daal is ready heat the Tarka oil in a frying pan and when hot add the remaining ingredients. Cook for 30 seconds or until the seeds are popping and the fragrance is released. Immediately remove from the heat and pour over your daal. Serve in bowls with plenty of bread to mop up all the flavour.

Cauliflower Tikka Masala

I absolutely love this recipe- mostly because it combines two of my favourite things: Indian spices and oven baking!

The recipe uses a very straightforward homemade curry paste which might sound a bit daunting and time intensive but I assure you that its super easy, ready in 5 minutes and so worth it! You could substitute in other vegetables such as pumpkin or potatoes but I’m a big fan of cauliflower.

Also featured over @babyccinokids

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500g prepped cauliflower cut into bitesize florets

for the paste:

1-2 onions, roughly chopped

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

2 tsp garam masala

2 tsp mild curry powder

1 tbsp paprika

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp tomato paste

3 tbsp ground almonds

50g fresh coriander, roughly chopped

and:

400ml tomato passata

200ml coconut milk

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Preheat the oven to 220°C and place the prepped cauliflower in a large ovenproof dish (I generally use a shallow Le Creuset) and set to one side. Place all the paste ingredients and 1 tablespoon of cold water in a food processor and blitz down into a smooth paste. Remove the paste and pour over the cauliflower. Use a spoon to gently coat the florets and then place the dish into the oven for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, remove the dish and pour in the tomato passata and coconut milk. Stir everything together and reduce the oven to 200ºC. Place the curry back in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until bubbling and the top of the florets are starting to caramelise a little. Remove and serve immediately with rice and chapatis or alongside other curries for an Indian Feast!