Denise says:

This is a delicious vegan curry recipe.  Uses few items of equipment, can be made in advance and would certainly be an ideal dish for students at University.

Ingredients:

  • 150g red lentils
  • 3 tablespoons rapeseed / sunflower oil
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds ~
  • 1 large cauliflower, florets cut off and any large ones broken up 8 small potatoes – keep skin on – roughly chopped
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 50g fresh root ginger peeled and finely grated
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 medium-hot red chilli, halved, seeded and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon mild curry powder ~
  • 400ml can coconut milk
  • 200g tomatoes chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
  • ~
  • Garnish: Bunch of fresh coriander, leaves picked and roughly chopped

Method

  1. Put the lentils into a small pan with 450ml cold water, bring to the boil, cover then simmer gently, stirring regularly, for 15-20 minutes until the lentils have become a thick purée. Cover and set aside.
  2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the cumin seeds and the cauliflower florets, potatoes and cook, turning occasionally, for 2-3 minutes until coloured here and there with golden-brown spots.
  3. To the same frying pan, add the onion. Lower the heat slightly and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and sweet but not browned. Add the ginger, garlic and chilli and cook for 2 minutes more, then stir in the ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric and curry powder. Cook for 1 minute, then stir in the coconut milk, cauliflower and tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the cauliflower is just tender.
  4. Stir the lentil purée into the curry with the lime or lemon juice and season to taste with salt. Leave to simmer for 2-3 minutes more. Stir in the coriander leaves and turn off the heat.
Tagged in: Cauliflower, chilli, Coconut Milk, curry powder, dinner, Family Cooking, Garlic, Indian, Lentils, Lunch, onion, Potatoes, students, Vegan, Vegetarian