This was one of my favourite recipes whilst at uni during the winter months when it was more than a touch cold. This curry is really filling, reasonably cheap and very warming! Prompted to make it again by a serious case of woman flu, I decided to give this a go as it gives you a great hit of vegetables (following this recipe to the letter will provide you with all of your five a day) and the chilli and spices help clear congestion and colds.

This recipe is adapted from a recipe I found in the back of Glamour magazine a couple of years ago now, but it has served me well.

There are a lot of ingredients in this recipe but chances are they will all be kicking about in your store cupboard and you don’t have to include every ingredient if you don’t fancy it. I tend to leave out the sultanas and fresh tomatoes because they’re not my favourite ingredients so feel free to chop and change the recipe and it will generally be ok as long as you keep your stock levels right with the lentils and have a generous portion of a stodgy vegetable such as the sweet potatoes and carrots to absorb the liquid.


Vegetable Dhansak


Makes four portions, allow an hour for prep and cooking time.

Ingredients
100g red lentils
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1tsp peeled and grated root ginger
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced into about 2cm cubes
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
Large handful sultanas
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
500ml hot vegetable stock
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 large tomatoes, each cut into 8
100g green beans, halved
1 tsp garam masala
Small bunch coriander, chopped


Method:

1.       Soak the lentils in cold water for three minutes to rinse them and then drain.

2.       Heat the oil in a large sauce pan, fry the onion, garlic, chillies and ginger until the onion softens.

3.       Add the carrots, sweet potato and pepper and fry for a further five minutes.

4.       Add the sultanas, turmeric and cumin and coriander and cook for one minute.

5.       Stir in the lentils, stock, tomato puree and tomatoes. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring twice.

6.       Add the beans and garam masala. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

7.       Scatter with coriander, season and serve.