DRU1D's Kitchen

When I invented this recipe I started out trying to make soup. Instead I ended up with Dal, a lentil curry. Feel free to adapt the recipe to how you feel/what you have in the fridge.

Step 1. Get a packet of Red Lentils. Wash them under running water until the water runs clear, or you lose patience (whichever happens first). Put the washed lentils in a big pot with lots of water.
Step 2. Cook the lentils according to packet directions, or simmer them until they are soft and mushy and have probably absorbed a lot of the water. Keep an eye on them so that they don't burn. It will take between 45 minutes and 3 hours (depending on quantity, your stove etc.)
Step 3. When the lentils are starting to look a bit cooked, pour off any excess water, and add some spices. It's up to you what you put in, but I use cinnamon, a bay leaf, some cardamom pods, coriander, lots of paprika, lemongrass, some curry powder and some chilli powder (remember it's a CURRY). Stir it all in and let it simmer for a while but don't let it burn.
Step 4. Grab a pot and fry a chopped onion and some garlic in oil until they're soft/clear/however you like them. Add them to the lentils. Chop some carrots and add them and some frozen peas to the lentils. You can use any vegetables you like- others that work well are celery (not too much though), capsicum, fresh chilli, chopped partially cooked potato/sweet potato... use whatever you have in the fridge.
Step 5. Keep the lentils simmering until the vegetables you added are completely cooked. Add a little bit of coconut milk if you want and simmer until it is absorbed. Pick out the lemongrass, cinnamon stick, bay leaf and cardamom pods if you used them.

Serve warm with rice, naan bread or poppadums.

This recipe is my own version of a recipe that originally came out of the Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen (published by Ten Speed Press).

Step 1. Soak 3/4 of a cup of raw chickpeas in lots of water for two hours. Drain them, put them in fresh water and simmer them for 1 and 1/2 hours until chewy/how you like them (or follow the instructions on the pack). Drain off any extra water.
Step 2. Saute 2 cups of chopped onion, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, 1/2 a cup of chopped celery and 2 cups of chopped peeled sweet potato in 3 tablespoons of olive oil for about 5 minutes. Do this in the same pot you intend to make the soup in.
Step 3. Add 2 teaspoons of paprika, 1 teaspoon tumeric, 1 teaspoon basil (fresh if possible), dash of cinnamon, dash of cayenne, a bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. Add 3 cups of water or vegetable stock. Simmer covered for 15 minutes.
Step 4. Add 1 cup of chopped fresh tomatos, 1/3 of a cup of chopped capsicum, 1/2 a cup of frozen peas and the chickpeas from step 1. Simmer for about another 10 minutes, or until all the vegetables are as tender as you like them. Pick out the bay leaf before serving.

Serve hot with fresh warm bread.

This recipe is coming soon. Unfortunately this recipe cannot be modified for vegans. These cookies contain three types of chocolate, and can be modified to contain nuts, fudge, dried fruit or whatever you like.