Quick Spinach and Lentil Dahl

Serves 4

This is the easiest dahl to make and a great way to eat legumes, powerhouses of goodness which can be so easily overlooked in our diet. You can use any type of lentils, my favourite are small red lentils but brown lentils and French puy lentils can also be used.

Prep time: 15 minutes (plus time for soaking lentils)
Cook time: 20-25 minutes
  • 1 cup lentils
  • Bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 bunch spinach, washed and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • pinch of cayenne (optional)
  • generous pinch of salt
  • Diced cucumber and natural yogurt to serve

Soak the lentils for a few hours or overnight. Drain and rinse. Cover with plenty of water, add the bay leaf and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the lentils are tender. Drain. Heat a large skillet/ frying-pan and add the oil. Add the spinach and sauté until wilted. Now add the spices and stir-fry for 1 minute. Finally add the lentils and salt and combine, adjusting seasoning to taste.

Serve with a garish of diced cucumber and a spoon of yogurt. Serve as is or on a bed of basmati rice. See below for cooking perfect rice.

 

Indian Cooking

The trick with Indian food is to perfectly balance the spices and seasoning. Spices enhance the digestion of the legumes (beans and lentils) and salt helps balance the flavours. Slowly add salt until the dish is bursting with flavour but is not salty.

Ghee (clarified butter) is used extensively in traditional Indian cooking. Butter-fat contains a short-chain fatty acid called butyric acid. Butyric acid is not stored as fat but believed to provide instant fuel (energy) to the intestines.

In Ayervedic (Indian) medicine, Ghee is renowned for its healing abilities especially of the intestines and digestion. It is also the basis of many remedies as it is believed to help transport herbs and spices across the intestinal wall into the blood.

Indian basmati and jasmine rice are more fragrant than white rice and match perfectly with Indian food.


To cook perfect rice; wash 1 cup of rice in a sieve until the water runs clear. Place in a saucepan with 2 cups water and a generous pinch of salt. Cover with a tight fitting lid and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer until all the water is absorbed - about 12-15 minutes. To check the water level, use a spoon to pull back the rice. It is important not to stir the rice or it will become sticky. Once rice is cooked remove from the heat, and leave to steam for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve. If using brown rice add an extra 1/2 cup of water and allow for 10-15 minutes extra cooking time.