Lentil and Vegetable Curry Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion – peeled and slices
• 2 largish garlic cloves – peeled and crushed
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 medium carrots – peeled (if necessary) and cut finely
• 4 oz red lentils
• 14 oz can of tomatoes (undrained and mashed) or 1 lb ripe tomatoes (peeled and mashed)
• ¾ pint vegetable stock or water
• Either 1 teaspoon chilli sauce or 1 or 2 chilli peppers finely diced (watch your eyes)
• 1 lb pumpkin or potatoes (cut into ½” cubes)
• ½ medium cauliflower – broken into small sprigs
• Black pepper

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan/frying pan, add the onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric and carrots and fry for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft.
2. Stir in the lentils, tomatoes and stock or water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.
3. Add the chilli sauce (or chillis), pumpkin or potatoes and cauliflower srpigs. Cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes until the pumpkin and lentils are tender.
4. Stir in some black pepper according to taste.

Serves 4 – Goes well with brown rice, basmati rice, crusty bread and/or some poppadoms. A spoonful of plain yogurt goes nice on the top of each serving.