The flavours in this carrot dahl are as bright and fresh as the colours and it has proved a hit with adults and children. Plus, it is really quick to make and full of nutrients 😊
Ingredients for the dahl (serves 4):
2 cloves of garlic
Pinch of chilli flakes (or as much as you like)
A large chunk of fresh ginger
1 red onion
Coconut oil (refill in store)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cinnamon
200g red lentils
1 tin coconut milk
1 tbsp vegetable bouillon
6 carrots
A large handful of chard or other leafy green
Juice of 1 lemon
Ingredients for the pickle:
A large chunk of fresh ginger
Pinch of chilli flakes
1 lemon
2 beetroot
1 tbsp brown mustard seeds
1 tbsp white wine vinegar (refill in store)
Honey (or agave) (refill in store)
A bunch of coriander
Ingredients for the chapatis:
140g wholemeal flour
140g plain flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil (refill in store)
Method
Start off with the dahl. Finely grate the garlic and ginger and place in a large saucepan on a medium heat. Add the coconut oil. Grate the red onion and add to the pan. Cook for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Grind the cumin and coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar and add to the pan with the other spices. Add the red lentils, coconut milk and 600ml water along with the vegetable bouillon. Turn the heat down and allow to simmer. Grate the carrots and add to the pan. Leave to cook for at least 20 minutes but you can leave it longer if needed. Keep stirring and checking there is enough liquid to avoid it catching on the pan.
Now make the pickle. Finely grate the ginger and zest the lemon. Use a coarse grater to grate the beetroots and add all the ingredients to a bowl. Mix well.
For the chapatis stir together all the ingredients and add enough water to make a soft, elastic dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 5-10 minutes then divide into 10 balls. Put a frying pan on a high heat and grease lightly. Roll out the balls until very thin. Cook each chapati in the hot pan for 30 seconds on each side.
Turn the heat off under the dahl. Finely chop the chard and stir into the dahl with the juice of the lemon.
Plate up with some basmati rice and sprinkle the fresh coriander over the meal.