Mildly spiced lamb dhals make wonderfully cheap and filling suppers; this recipe will feed four for less than £3.50.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 3cm piece fresh ginger, grated
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 200g red lentils, washed and drained
- 400g can of chopped tomatoes
- 800ml vegetable or chicken stock, hot
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- ¼ tsp salt
- 100g baby spinach, washed
For the koftas
- 1 small onion, grated
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 3cm piece fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 400g lean lamb mince
Method
- 1. Mix all the kofta ingredients in a bowl. Mould tablespoonfuls around the end of 12 metal or wooden skewers (if using wooden skewers, soak in water for 20 minutes). Chill for 30 minutes to firm up.
- 2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the turmeric and lentils and stir well. Pour in half the stock, bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the can of chopped tomatoes, add the remaining stock, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
- 3. Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan and cook the koftas for 8-10 minutes, turning, until cooked. Keep warm.
- 4. Add the garam masala, salt and spinach to the dhal and stir until the spinach wilts. Serve with the koftas and some mango chutney.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 484kcals, 19.1g fat (7.1g saturated), 40.8g protein, 42.5g carbs, 10.9g sugar, 2.5g salt
Chef's tip
For veggies, replace the koftas with haloumi cheese slices marinated for 10 minutes in grated fresh ginger and curry powder, then griddle until golden. To freeze: freeze the dhal, only, at the end of step 2 for up to 3 months. Thaw and complete the recipe.