Spinach and Tomato Dahl

This is very filling, easy to do and can be cooked in large quantities and frozen for later. it is your basic dahl but with swirls of red and green throughout adding visual interest and more complex flavours to the dish.

The Hare Krishnas eat it so it must be the real deal...

INGREDIENTS

Some lentils obviously. I go for split mung beans but really any lentil can work. As for quantity, let's say a couple of cups
Vegetable stock
Turmeric

A couple of onions
Some garlic
Tin of plum tomatoes or you can use la-di-da fresh ones
Curry paste, whatever you have, Madras is pretty good.
Spinach - half a supermarket bag of fresh or a dozen frozen spinach parcels will do the trick
fresh coriander

part one: the lentils
Cover the lentils with boiling water (the scrupulous among you will have washed your lentils by this stage). This is when you should add the stock, salt and pepper and a bit of tumeric. Don't go crazy with the turmeric or it will make a nasty scum later on. Leave this to simmer for 20 minutes or just over. But don't rest, you have work to do...

part two: the yummy bit
chop those onions and garlic and then fry them nicely. better still have everything pre-cut to synchronise better with the lentil bit. when soft add the curry paste. be fairly generous here as the paste will be flavouring all the lentils and everything else not just what is in the pan now. cook the paste in for a minute or two.

>optional instead of paste in a jar. take cumin, coriander seeds and fenugreek and pepper corns, roast them in the frying pan with no oil and then crush them. then add some oil to form your own paste. you're a better man than i am if you can pull this bit off.

part two: continued
Simmer this little lot down for just under 20 minutes. you could put a lid on your frying pan if you like. It doesn't really matter to be honest.

part three: the denouement
Now pour your yummy onion and tomato stuff into the boring lentils and stir in. After about 10 minutes throw in your spinach for a few minutes until it is cooked. Finally throw in the chopped coriander for half a mo and you are done.

This lot should serve about four people with rice and some other stuff.