Morning everybody, feeling better today but I’m not stepping on the scales yet. I was mostly sticking to healthy options at the conference lunch but there were also some deliciously looking picky bits that I couldn’t resist.
I’m going to share with you my tarka dhal recipe as it is absolutely delicious. Tomatoes are a vital ingredient but perhaps might be omitted/substituted?
I often tweak this recipe adding more spices, more garlic as now I don’t measure anything so the end result is always slightly different.
Tarka Dhal
• 200g red lentils
• 4 large tomatoes (skin peeled and chopped)
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 900g veg stock (I often use organic chicken stock)
• 2 small or 1 large onion chopped
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 4 small red chillies (or chilli flakes)
• 2 large or 3 small sweet potatoes cut into cubes
• handful of spinach (optional, I often go without it)
plenty of seasoning (this is important)
• juice of 1 small lemon
Sweat onion first (I use extra virgin oil), add tomatoes and spices and garlic.
Then lentils, cubed sweet potatoes and stock. I also add chopped carrot or two. Stir often but gently to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Cook gently. Turn it off and add spinach and lemon juice. I add extra olive oil at that point.
I eat it on its own hot or cold but if I serve it to DH then with rice/naan bread.
When still hot I put separate portions into sterilised jars and they keep well (uni DCs happy to take them😁).
This recipe is from some other mumsnetter, from a great thread 4 years ago about lunch ideas. Sadly I cannot find the thread or remember the name of the poster. But I’m forever grateful, this dhal is simple and delicious and I love it so much.
I usually have a small portion for lunch and it’s enough, as very filling and protein rich.