This beautiful recipe comes from Sesame Lane Lead Educator Aparna Dandala. Warm, hearty and full of goodness, her red lentil and vegetable curry is a comforting meal the whole family can enjoy. Packed with colourful vegetables, nourishing lentils and fragrant spices, it is delicious served with fluffy jasmine rice. It is also easy to adapt using whatever vegetables you have available, making it a wonderfully practical choice for a wholesome lunch or dinner.

Ingredients

• 500gm dry red lentils
• 2 cups of mixed vegetables of your choice
• 2 tbs cooking oil
• 2 tbs margarine/butter
• 2 onions diced
• 2-3 cloves of garlic peeled and minced
• 2 tbs tomato paste
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tbs coriander powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 4tbs stock powder
• Warm water to soak lentils
• 250ml + 1 litre of hot water

Method

Wash the lentils and place into a bowl, cover with warm water and soak for 20 minutes.

Add oil and butter to deep frypan on medium to high heat, add onions and cook until translucent, add garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add vegetables and cook for 5 minutes. Now add turmeric, pepper, cumin, coriander, tomato paste, stock powder and 250ml hot water.  Sitr and let cook covered for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Now add the soaked lentils and 1 litre hot water and stir.  Continue cooking for about 8 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

Let rest for about 10 minutes before serving with a side of hot Jasmine rice.

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