roald dahl

i've always loved indian food: the curries, the spices and the spiciness! not to mention, indian food can be super healthy. in fact, according to health.com's article, World's Best Superfoods, indian sits at a comfortable 5 out of the 10 healthiest ethnic cuisines in the world (who sits at 1? you guessed it. greek). this is mainly due to the spices found in indian cooking, such as turmeric, ginger, cumin and cardamom.

spices featured heavily in indian cuisine

the majority of these spices have cancer fighting properties and anti-inflammatory properties. research is being done on turmeric and garlic, as evidence suggests they can help prevent Alzheimer's Disease (rates of the disease in india are 4 times lower than those in america). indian cuisine also heavily features chickpeas, beans and lentils as super, super healthy alternatives to fatty meats for their large vegetarian population.

so, since i love lentils so much (tasty and really healthy), i decided that i should test my curry-ing skills and attempted to make dahl, a spicy lentil curry. i wanted to change the recipe to make it healthier by adding lots of veg. so let's call this eva's super-healthy-vitamin-and-mineral-and-iron-rich dahl. so, here's the recipe!

you will need:
~ 1 1/2 cups of lentils (i used red and i put in a bit extra, but any kind will do)
4 cups water 
1/2 an onion
3 cloves of garlic
3 tsp curry powder (or to taste - i used a lot)
1 1/2 tsp cumin (i know, there's cumin in the curry powder, but i like it so i added extra)
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp chilli flakes (i added extra cause i like it spicy)
1/2 tsp ginger
2 tsp garam masala (or to taste)
1 tsp olive oil
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
4 celery sticks
1 large green and red pepper (i used 1 1/2 of each cause i had some from the day before)
1 small/medium pack frozen spinach

 red, black and green lentils

preparation:
get a tray or large plate, pour the lentils out and sift through them for rocks or twigs.
chop onions fine, dice veggies, crush garlic and take spinach out of the freezer.

step 1:
in a large pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. when ready, add in garlic, ginger and onions. cook, stirring often for 5 minutes until onions are translucent
step 2:
once onions are translucent, add in all spices and cook for a 2 more minutes, stirring often.
step 3: 
add in celery, green and red pepper and tomatoes (with liquid) and stir together. cook for 10 minutes.
step 4:
once veggies have softened a little, add the water and the lentils. turn the temperature down to low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.
step 5:
add in the frozen spinach and cook for 10 more minutes or until the desired consistency is reached. if needed, add more water.

to serve:
i served the dahl on the leaves of  iceberg lettuce, but it can also be served with brown rice or naan.

dahl served on lettuce leaves

side note: this dahl recipe makes TONS, and it freezes really well. i kept half for the week, and froze the other half for later.