Food & Wine
Red lentil and coconut dhal with kaffir lime and lemongrass
With winter proper just around the corner, this recipe ensures you have a tasty, wholesome dish to keep you and the family warm on those long, cold nights.
Ingredients:
- 1 shallot or ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon finely-grated ginger
- 1 kaffir lime leaf, central stem removed, finely sliced
- ½ stalk lemongrass, tough outer layer removed and finely diced
- 1 tablespoon yellow curry paste
- ½ cup split red lentils
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon fish or soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 capsicum
- 1 tomato
- 2–3 handfuls baby spinach leaves
- Steamed white or brown basmati rice
- 2–3 tablespoons coriander leaves
- ¼–½ cup roasted cashew nuts
Method:
- To begin, splash a drizzle of oil in a medium pot or pan (with a lid) on medium heat.
- Cook shallot/onion, garlic, ginger, kaffir lime leaf and lemongrass for about three minutes.
- If your shallot/onion starts to stick, add a splash of water.
- Add curry paste, lentils, and a dash of coconut milk.
- Stir to coat and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes until fragrant.
- Add the remaining coconut milk as well as 1/2 cup of water, the fish/soy sauce, sugar and lemon juice. Bring this mixture to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to low and cover and let simmer for around 25 minutes.
- To ensure the lentils are cooked through stir occasionally, and if at any point the dhal looks too dry add up to 1/2 a cup of water.
- Slice capsicum after removing core, then add to the curry and simmer for five minutes.
- Dice tomato, roughly chop coriander and once the dhal is cooked, stir through tomato and spinach and season to taste with salt. At this point remove from heat.
- To serve, spoon steamed rice onto each plate or into each bowl.
- Spoon red lentil and coconut dhal on top. Garnish with coriander and cashew nuts.
Written by Nadia Lim. First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.
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