Dhal, Crispy Sweet Potato and Coconut Chutney

This recipe was my first foray into what has very quickly become my favourite cookery book ever. It almost feels as if Anna Jones wrote ‘A Modern Way to Eat’ just for my family. I didn’t have the curry leaves included in the recipe, but nobody noticed: I just added a few fennel seeds instead and it was still yummy. It does taste great with curry leaves too, I have since discovered, even though our location in the sticks precludes easy access to the fresh leaves,

The quantities serve 4 as a lunch or light supper, but only really did for 3 of us as our main meal. Serve with a wholemeal, seeded pitta and you have a really easy, high protein vegetarian meal that packs in a good 3 of your 5 a day.

Dhal, Crispy Sweet Potato and Coconut Chutney
Print Recipe
A hearty and warming, one bowl, simple supper which I serve with wholemeal pittas popped into the toaster on its lowest setting. Easy to make and simple to reheat for latecomers, this is the perfect family meal.
Servings Prep Time
3-4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
3-4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Dhal, Crispy Sweet Potato and Coconut Chutney
Print Recipe
A hearty and warming, one bowl, simple supper which I serve with wholemeal pittas popped into the toaster on its lowest setting. Easy to make and simple to reheat for latecomers, this is the perfect family meal.
Servings Prep Time
3-4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
3-4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Ingredients
Dhal
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • 2 inches fresh ginger peeled and chopped
  • 1 whole green chilli chopped
  • 1 whole red onion chopped
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp Ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 200 grammes red lentils
  • 400 ml tinned reduced fat coconut milk
  • 400 ml vegetable stock
  • 80 grammes baby spinach
  • 1 bunch chopped fresh coriander
  • 1 lemon juiced
Crispy sweet potatoes
  • 400 grammes sweet potatoes roughly 2 or 3
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
Coconut chutney
  • 50 grammes unsweetened desiccated cocnut
  • 1 tsp black mustard seeds
  • 10 curry leaves
  • 20 grammes fresh ginger grated
  • 1 fresh red chilli
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees, pour 150 ml of boiling water over the desiccated coconut and make up 400 ml of vegetable stock.
  2. Clean the sweet potatoes then cut into 1 cm dice, skins and all. Place in roasting tray, drizzled with a little olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and sprinkled with the cumin and fennel seeds. Roast for 20-25 minutes.
  3. Chop the ginger, garlic, chilli and onion then soften in a small amount of oil for 10-15 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, crush the whole cumin and coriander seeds and once the fresh dhal ingredients are soft add these, the turmeric and the cinnamon.
  5. Stir the spice mix for a minute or two before adding the lentils, coconut milk and stock. Bring to the boil then simmer gently for 25 minutes.
  6. While the dhal and sweet potatoes cook, make the chutney by first draining the soaked coconut.
  7. Fry the mustard seeds and curry leaves in a little bit of hot oil (use as small a pan as you have to avoid using too much oil) for just a few seconds until they pop. Tip into the coconut and stir with a little salt, the ginger and chilli.
  8. Once the lentils are soft, stir in the spinach, lemon juice and half the chopped coriander.
  9. Serve the dhal in bowls, topped with a pile of crispy sweet potatoes and sprinkled with the coconut chutney and remaining fresh corander
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