Lentil and sweet potato curry

Ingredients

• 100ml olive oil
• 2 spanish onions, finely sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped or grated
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground white pepper
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 6 cardamom pods
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 small eggplant, peeled, cut into small cubes and salted for 30 minutes
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 1 litre water
• 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
• 2 handfuls baby spinach
• 1 handful coriander leaves

Method

Heat olive oil in a saucepan and cook seasoned onions, garlic and ginger until soft - about 15 minutes.

Add spices and cook 2 minutes. Wash and drain eggplant, add to onions and cook 5 minutes. Add lentils, sweet potato and water and simmer gently until cooked - about 20 minutes. Add broccoli and simmer 5 minutes. Stir through baby spinach.

Serve with coriander, natural yoghurt and your favourite chutney.

Quinoa, red rice and black lentil salad with spicy cauliflower

Ingredients

Quinoa and red rice salad with spicy cauliflower and black lentils.Photo: Marina Oliphant

• 200g quinoa
• 200g red rice, rinsed
• 50g black lentils, rinsed
• 100ml olive oil and 3 tbsp extra
• 2 brown onions, thinly sliced
• 100g dried cranberries
• 1 orange, zested and juiced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cauliflower, broken into small florets
• 200g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
• 1 cup fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
• For the dressing:
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Salt and pepper

Method

Cook quinoa in a medium pot of boiling, lightly salted water for 12-14 minutes until just tender. Drain and set aside. Cook red rice and lentils in a large pot of boiling, lightly salted water for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat frying pan, add 100 millilitres of oil and onions, cook over low heat for 10 minutes until well caramelised. Soak cranberries in orange juice for 10 minutes until plump. Mix cumin, coriander and flour in a small bowl.

Toss cauliflower in flour mix. Heat three tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan, add cauliflower and fry over low heat for 10 minutes, until soft. Toss with drained quinoa, rice and lentils.

Add caramelised onions, with any extra oil from the pan. Add cranberries with orange juice, pistachios and fresh herbs. Make dressing with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk well to combine, taste and adjust if necessary.

Add to salad and mix well.

Middle Eastern lentils and rice with blackened onions

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 6 onions, halved and finely sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 5 cups water or vegetable stock
• 1 1/2 cups brown lentils, washed and drained
• 1 cup long grain rice, washed and drained
• 1 cup plain yoghurt, drained through muslin-lined colander for 30 minutes
• Fresh mint sprigs, to garnish

Method

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium heat.

Add one onion, garlic, cumin, cinnamon and allspice and saute for four minutes until onion is softened and lightly coloured.

Add water (or stock) and lentils and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stir in rice, return to boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook until liquid has been absorbed and rice and lentils are tender, about 15 minutes.

Season well with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in pan and cook remaining onions until soft, well coloured and beginning to caramelise and blacken at the edges, about 30 minutes.

Arrange rice and lentils on a platter and sprinkle with caramelised onion. Serve with yoghurt and mint.

At its simplest, this traditional Lebanese dish is made with lentils, rice, onion and water. I have added spices. The onions should be cooked really well with lots of blackened, crunchy bits. To make a creamy, thickened yoghurt, drain through a colander or sieve lined with muslin or a new Chux kitchen cloth.

Warm roast veggie salad with lemony lentils

Ingredients

• 4 kipfler potatoes, halved lengthwise
• 2 red onions, unpeeled, quartered
• 8 baby carrots, peeled
• 500g cauliflower, cut into florets
• 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 8 sprigs thyme
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 400g canned lentils, drained
• 2 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• Sea salt and pepper
• 100g baby spinach leaves
• Half a lemon, finely sliced

Method

Heat oven to 200C. Toss potatoes, onions, carrots, cauliflower, garlic cloves and half the thyme in two tablespoons of olive oil and arrange in a roasting pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes until tender.

Heat lentils in a pan with half a cup of water until boiling, then drain and toss in remaining olive oil, lemon juice, honey and cumin, and season with sea salt and pepper.

Arrange potatoes on each dinner plate, scatter with spinach leaves and top with baby carrots and cauliflower. Peel the ''petals'' away from the onions and scatter over each plate.

Spoon the lentils on and around the vegetables and serve with lemon slices and remaining thyme sprigs

Lentil and pumpkin curry

1 cup puy lentil, washed
6 cups water
2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 cm piece ginger, shredded
1 oinon, finely chopped
2 tbsp medium curry paste
2 cups vegetable stock
500g Qld blue pumpkin, peeled, seeded, cut into 5cm pieces
2 green apples
1/2 bunch mint leaves
1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1. Put lentils in a large heavy based pan. Add water and turmeric, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large heavy based pan over a low heat. Add garlic, ginger, oinon and tomato. Stir to combine and cook for 4-5 mins. Add curry paste, stir to combine and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add vegetable stock, stir to combine, bring slowly to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add lentils and pumpkin, and cook for 35 mins or until pumpkin and lentils are tender.
4. Cut apples into paper thin slices and put in a bowl. Add mint and vinegar, and toss to combine. Serve curry with apple and mint salad.

Dhal

Preparation Time

10 minutes

Cooking Time

20 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 cup (300g) red lentils, rinsed well
• 3cm fresh ginger, sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tbs (40g) butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garam marsala
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 1/2-1 tsp salt
• 1 tbs chopped coriander leaves
• Naan bread or pappadums, to serve

Method

1. Place lentils, ginger, bay leaves and cinnamon in a large saucepan with 3 cups of cold water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring to prevent sticking for 10-12 minutes. Discard spices and set aside.

2. Heat the butter in a large frying pan over a medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, turmeric, cumin, garam marsala and chilli flakes and cook for a further minute or until fragrant. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt.

3. Add the lentils to the pan and mix well. Cook for a further 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Stir in coriander and serve hot with naan bread or pappadums.