Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry

Prep time: 10 minutes / Cooking time: 30 – 40 minutes

Serves 4 – 6.

Super easy recipe & very tasty. Great for cooking ahead and batch cooking. Lentils are inexpensive and go a long way. They are a great source of vegetable protein, fibre & iron. Lentils are great to buy dried because (unlike most of the other legumes) do not need to be soaked overnight. Lentils are a must-have in your pantry!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2tbps sunflower oil

• 1 bulb of garlic, finely chopped

• 2tbsps curry powder (mild/medium or hot, according to taste)

• 1 large thumb of ginger, peeled & finely chopped

• 800g chopped tomatoes

• 400g brown lentils, rinsed

• 1.4l water

• 400ml coconut milk

• A handful of fresh coriander, chopped

• 300g rice, to serve

METHOD:

1.      Put the lentils in a colander and rinse them under running cold water to remove any bits that they may have.

2.      Add oil to a large saucepan and over medium heat cook the chopped garlic stirring constantly for 1 minute.

3.      Add the chopped ginger & curry powder and keep on stirring for another minute.

4.      Add the chopped tomatoes & mix well. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes.

5.      Add the lentils and 1.4 litres of water, bring to a gentle simmer & cook until the lentils are soft (around 30 minutes). While the lentils are cooking you will need to stir every so often to make sure that the lentils are not sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. Whilst cooking, if it starts to look dry just add some more water, not too much as you want a thick consistency.

6.      While the lentils are cooking start cooking the rice following the manufacturer’s instructions.

7.      Once the lentils are soft & the curry is thick, add the coconut milk, give it a good stir, and cook for a further couple of minutes.

8.      Serve the lentil curry with rice and a generous sprinkle of chopped coriander on top.

TIPS:

✓  You can use green lentils instead; they will just take a few minutes longer to cook.

✓  If you would like extra flavour, you could use vegetable stock instead of water.

✓  Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or chilli powder if your family likes hotter curries.

✓  Great recipe for cooking ahead and batch cooking It will keep well for a couple of days in the fridge (stored in a lidded container). Just make sure it is piping hot when reheating.

✓  It would also be lovely served with some naan bread for dipping instead of or in addition to the rice.

✓  Finely dice some white onion & carrot and add it at step 2, this is a great way to increase the vegetable content in this recipe & added flavour.