Delicious and Delectable Dahl!

Yummmmmmmmo!  I've just discovered the wonderful Indian dish Dahl.  It's hard to come up with something that is wrong with this dish.  It's cheap to make, it's filling, it's satisfying, it's flavourful, it's hearty.....what more could you ask for in a dish. 

 

IT IS ONLY 200CALORIES PER SERVE!

 

Yes, you read right, I'm not kidding!  And if you put on a lovely dollop of Black Swan Fat Free Greek Youghurt, it still comes in under 300 calories.  Anyone with extra calories could easily add a piece of mountain bread to eat with it. 

 

I wish that I could say, I'd come up with this recipe myself, but no.  I wouldn't have gone near anything like this, because I've always been a bit scared of lentils.  In a moment of boldness - boosted by the inspiration of watching Janella Purcell make it on Good Chef, Bad Chef, I gave it a go.  There's no turning back now - I'm a lentil lover!  Full of protein and fibre - a fantastic meatless Monday dish.  Plenty of spices, which are wonderful for stimulating the digestive system and promoting weight loss.

 

Do you feel like cooking yet?  Alright - here's the recipe:

 

DAHL

1tsp olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1tbsp coriander stems, finely chopped (I included these in my recipe, but don't think you  would notice if they were left out)

2 tsp grated ginger

1/2 cup celery, diced

1 zucchini, diced

1 tbsp each of ground cumin, turmeric and garam masala

1 carrot, diced

1 cup pumpkin, diced

1 cup whole lentils (or split lentils or mung dahl) cooked

500ml vegetable stock

1 kaffir lime leaf (I didn't have this)

sea salt to taste

lemon, quartered, to serve

 

In a large pot, saute the onions in the oil until soft and translucent.  Next add the garlic, ginger, carrot and celery and cook gently for a minute.  If using whole lentils, blend until slightly mushy.  Add the spices and stir together.  Now add the pumpkin.  The spices may start to stick to the pot, this is good.  You may need a little water to prevent them burning however.  Now mis the lentils throught the spices then fill the pot with the stock and the lime leaf.  Bring to the boil.  Reduce to a simmer and let it cook for about 20-30 min or until the lentils are soft.  Finally season with the salt if needed.  Garnish with coriander leaves and lemon wedges.  Enjoy!