Cauliflower Dahl - 2 - $ - V - !

Lentils are one of the best sources of iron from the vegetable world - who knew?
This dahl can be served with naan bread, rice or is perfect as part of a Thali - a tasting plate from the Rajasthan region in India which has lots of different curries and chutneys to try.



Before we start, if you are going to use the yellow lentils that I have listed in the ingredients below, soak them in cold water for at least half an hour beforehand so the dahl has a lovely creamy texture. Red ones are fine to use too and you can bung these ones straight in.

OK dahl-ings, let's cook!

Ingredients

1 Brown onion, finely chopped
1 Clove of garlic, finely chopped/crushed
1 Piece of ginger, approx 2.5 cms big, peeled and finely grated
3 tbs Sunflower oil
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
75gm yellow lentils, soaked for approx 30 mins, then rinsed and drained
300ml vegetable stock
1-2 tbs Madras hot curry powder (the coconut milk will take some of the heat out, but once the curry is in there you can't get it out, so use to your taste)
1/2 Cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets
300ml coconut milk (the "lite" versions are fine to use)
50gm baby spinach
1/2 Punnet cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
2tbs fresh coriander, finely chopped
Juice of half a lemon

Heat 2 tbs of oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and dry spices (NOT the curry powder) and fry for approx 5 minutes until the onion softens. Add the lentils and stock and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes on a low heat.
In the meantime, heat the remaining oil in a large fry-pan or wok. Add the curry powder and stir for approx 1 minute until fragrant. Add the cauliflower and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes until the stems begin to soften.
Add the cauliflower and coconut milk to the lentils and return to the boil. Simmer for another 10 minutes, covered, on a low heat. Add the cherry tomatoes and simmer for another 3 minutes. Add the baby spinach and stir until it wilts. Remove from the heat and stir through the coriander and lemon juice just before serving.

Enjoy!