DHAL

Ingredients

1¹/₂ cups / 300 g red lentils, rinsed 2 bay leaves

1 tsp salt

1 cinnamon stick

3 tbsp clarified butter or oil 1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped Thumb-size piece ginger, peeled and grated

2 tsp curcuma (turmeric) 1 tsp ground cumin

¹/₂ tsp garam masala

1 tsp chili powder

juice of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp chopped cilantro (fresh coriander), plus some to garnish Poppadums, to serve

Method : Prep and cook time: 30 min

1. Put the lentils, bay leaves, salt and cinnamon stick in pan with 3 cups (750 ml) of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time, or until the lentils are soft. Add more water if needed to prevent the mixture becoming dry. Discard the bay leaves and cinnamon stick and set aside.
2. Heat the butter in a pan and gently fry the onion until soft but not brown then add the garlic, ginger, curcuma (turmeric), cumin, garam masala and chili powder. Cook for 2 minutes then stir in the cooked lentils.
3. Add the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and gently cook for 5 more minutes, stirring all the time to prevent burning.
4. Stir in the chopped cilantro (coriander) and serve garnished with the cilantro leaves and the poppadums alongside.