Red lentil and spinach dhal is the ultimate comfort food. Dhal is satisfying enough to have on its own or served as a perfect accompaniment with other meat or vegetables curries.  We usually serve the dhal with brown basmati rice and a generous dollop of natural Greek yoghurt.  Store any leftover dhal in a container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Serves 4-6

Prep and cooking time: 30-40 mins

1 cup red lentils, rinsed

3 cups water

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 cinnamon stick

1 brown onion, diced

1 green chili pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped finely

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon ginger, finely minced/grated

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon paprika

3/4 teaspoon salt

400 g can chopped tomatoes

Juice of half a lemon

½ cup water

120 g baby spinach

20 g  coriander leaves, chopped (save extra for garnish)

1. Rinse the lentils thoroughly through a sieve. Place the rinsed lentils in a medium saucepan along with 3 cups of water. Bring the lentils to a boil then turn the heat to medium and allow the lentils to cook for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan set to medium heat. Add the cumin seeds,  cinnamon stick and cook for 60 to 90 seconds, until fragrant.
3. Add the onion, green chilli, garlic, and ginger; and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onions have softened.
4. Add the turmeric, cardamom, paprika, salt, and tomato to the pan and cook for a further  5-10 minutes.
5. Once the lentils are cooked, drain off any excess water. Stir the spiced onion mixture into the pot of lentils. Add the lemon juice, salt and water if needed and stir well to combine all of the ingredients. Stir through the baby spinach just before serving.
6. Garnish with coriander and serve with basmati rice and dollop of natural yoghurt.

Nutrient	Per Serve	Per 100g	Criteria (per Serve)
Energy (kJ)	1121.87	248.64	≤ 2200 kJ
Protein (g)	14.40	3.19	-
Total fat (g)	6.01	1.33	-
Saturated fat (g)	0.50	0.11	≤ 7 g
Carbohydrate (g)	31.56	7.00	≤ 60 g
Sugars (g)	10.23	2.27	-
Water (g)	378.05	83.79	-
Dietary fibre (g)	13.08	2.90	≥ 5 g
Sodium (mg)	539.15	119.49	≤ 600 mg