Easy Dhal with Cous Cous, Middle Eastern Spiced Potatoes and Wilted Spinach

Dhal is a firm favourite of mine and it can make a great store cupboard supper. It’s also super easy to make and it’s delicious! Again this is one that you can make super speedy in a pressure cooker, but if not you can just let it do its thing in a slow cooker or on a low heat on the stove whilst you get on with other stuff. Just be sure to keep going back to check the consistency.

This recipe is with couscous but please switch this for regular rice if you are Vata/Pitta pacifying.


You will need

FOR THE DHAL

  • 180g of red lentils (rinsed and drained)

  • 2 cloves of crushed garlic

  • 2 thumb sizes of crushed ginger

  • 1 tbsp of red pepper paste

  • 1 tsp of tamarind paste

  • ½ tsp of turmeric powder

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • 1 tsp of cumin powder

  • 1 tsp of ground coriander powder

FOR THE POTATOES

  • 500g of potatoes (washed chopped with skins on)

  • Tbsp melted ghee

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • 1 tsp of cinnamon powder

  • 1 tsp of cumin powder

  • 1 tsp of allspice

EXTRAS

  • 50g of couscous

  • 50g of basmati rice

  • Rinsed bag of spinach

  • Ghee


DHAL

  1. Slow cook version - Add the lentils to a pot with plenty of water with salt, and ½ tsp of turmeric powder and place on the stove at a high heat.

  2. Bring to a boil but make sure to watch it at this stage as it has a tendency of boiling over. Once it is boiling, turn the heat right down and allow it to simmer for 30 minutes. Keep checking the consistency and stirring occasionally.

  3. Once the lentils have become completely mushy, they are ready for the next step.

  4. In a separate pan, add the garlic, ginger and ghee. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. 

  5. Next add the red pepper paste and tamarind and cook for a few minutes until well combined. Next add the cumin, coriander powder and pepper.

  6. Once this is all combined, add this to the dhal and cook further until some liquid is reduced and it is slightly thickened. 

  7. For Pete’s one, you can mix in a tsp of coconut cream at the end to make it more cooling and unctuous.

  8. Pressure cooker version - add all of these ingredients to the pressure cooker with plenty of water. Allow the cooker to pressurise and cook for 3 minutes. Take off the heat and allow the cooker to depressurise. Remove the lid and allow the liquid to reduce to half.

POTATOES

  1. Mix the melted ghee with the cumin powder, cinnamon, allspice and salt and pepper.

  2. Toss the potatoes in this mixture and ensure they are all evenly coated.

  3. Place in the oven at 180 (Gas mark 4) and cook for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and crispy.


WILTED SPINACH, RICE/COUSCOUS

  1. Wilt the spinach in a little ghee, salt and pepper.

  2. Serve together with the dhal, potatoes, couscous/rice.

Avi Sehmbi