Curried Lentil Soup

Ok so I've been slack since being back at university and haven't had much of a chance to try my recipes, but I did manage to make this one a few weeks ago!  I just haven't had time to sit down and write about it until now!!  Plus I'm a procrastinator haha.  Took my time.

Anyway, I have a thing with lentils at the moment.  Curry and lentils, just so satisfying.  Love it.  I wanted to try this soup, and we'd had a leek in the fridge to use for a wee while (something we don't normally have in our vege drawer) so I made this on a Monday (I don't have class on a Monday, so I'm able to cook because I'm home!) for meat-less Monday!

INGREDIENT

4 cups water

2 chicken stock cubes

2 medium potatoes

1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz.)

1 & 1/2 tbsp tomato paste

2 medium/large carrots

1 large onion

1 big leek

1 cup dried lentil

2 garlic cloves

4 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

dried thyme

pepper

salt

METHOD

 

• Wash and finely mince the leek (cut into quarters lengthwise, fan the leaves apart and run under water to clean)
• Peel and finely mince carrots and onions.  Grate the garlic cloves. 
• Heat 2 tbsp oil and cook onions and carrots for about 5 mins
• Meanwhile you've got 5 min to peel and mince the potatoes
• Once the onions are 'sweating', add the leek and garlic and cook for 3 more minutes
• Add 4 tsp curry powder, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, and 1 & 1/2 tbsp tomato paste, and cook for 1 more minute
• Add the cubed potatoes, lentils, diced tomatoes, water, chicken stock cubes, a good pinch of salt and pepper, and some dried thyme to taste.
• Stir well and bring to the boil
• Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes until lentils and vegetables are well done
• Check the seasoning, and serve!

This soup was delicious and warm and comforting.  Loved it!  Served it with roti, and it was just like being back in Malaysia.  Will definitely be making this one again!!!! :)

Recipe Inspiration: http://www.kayotic.nl/blog/curried-lentil-soup

Sweet Potato, Spinach & Lentil Dahl

I stumbled across this recipe yesterday, just as I was thinking "oh man, I've got a bag of baby spinach in the fridge that needs using ASAP, and a kumara (sweet potato) that I've been meaning to make chips out of"... combine this with the lentils I bought for another recipe I'm going to try soon, and this recipe is a winner! :)  

It was super quick and easy to make too.  I made double the original recipe so that it would serve 4, and ate it with rice for a nice, wholesome dinner which happened to coincide with Meatless Monday!  What I've written below is the double recipe - just halve it if you want enough for two :)

INGREDIENTS

200g lentils

900mL vegetable stock (although I used chicken because we'd run out)

2 onions, finely diced

4 tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp turmeric

2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp powdered chilli

1 large sweet potato, cut into chunks

2 handfuls baby spinach, rinsed & shredded

baby peas

rice, to serve with

METHOD

• Put all the ingredients except the sweet potato, peas and spinach in a pan
• Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 mins 
• Add the sweet potato and cook until tender (test with a fork if unsure), another 10-12 mins
• Stir in the spinach and peas, and cook for a minute until wilted
• Serve with rice

This was a good, warm dinner, very filling!    Will be perfect on a cold winter night, for those miserable nights where you get home, but can't be bothered defrosting meat and then thinking up something to do with it! :P  The kumara provided a lovely sweetness, and the peas gave a nice fresh contrast to the other flavours.  Yum! :)

Recipe Inspiration: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/96608/sweet-potato-spinach-and-lentil-dahl