This is one of my favourite go-to meals when I'm not sure what to make for dinner. That happens to me quite often! I'm definitely not a planner when it comes to dinner. This dal is always a winner. It's packed with nutrition and dead simple to whip up.
Lentils, part of the legume family, are high in fibre and protein. When it comes to your daily 2 serves of fruit and 5 served of vegetables, lentils are considered to be a serve of vegetable.
Red split lentils cook down quite a lot which is why the cauliflower is so good in this dish... The cauliflower stops it from becoming too mushy. Other lentils keep their shape much better but they require soaking overnight and that requires pre-planning!
RECIPE
Ingredients
- 1 red onion
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- A thumb sized piece of ginger
- 2 ripe tomatoes
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 cup split red lentils
- 3 cups veggie stock
- 1/2 large or 1 small head of cauliflower
Method
- Finely dice the onion and garlic & add to a large pot to sauté in a good glug of extra virgin olive oil
- Peel the ginger by scraping the sharp end of a knife against the skin. It comes off really easily this way. With a fine plane grater, grate the ginger into to the pot to sauté with the onion & garlic.
- Once the onion and garlic are translucent add in the spices to cook for another minute or 2
- Cube the tomatoes into smallish cubes & add them with as much of the juice as possible to the pot & sauté until they begin to soften
- Add in the lentils and stir to coat them then pour in the veggie stock and mix well
- Break the cauliflower into florets and add them in too
- Place a lid on and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until cooked. It will take around 25-30 minutes
- The cauliflower will cook to the point where it falls apart. If you prefer it to stay together wait 15-20 minutes before adding it in.