Tasty and filling, dhal makes a cheap, healthy and satisfying meal from storecupboard ingredients.
Ingredients
300g/10½oz yellow split peas
1 onion, chopped
200g/7oz chopped tomatoes (from a tin or fresh)
thumb of fresh root ginger, finely grated
2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp crushed finely in a mortar
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 garlic cloves, one crushed, one thinly sliced
10 freeze-dried curry leaves
700ml/1¼ pts hot vegetable stock
1 hot green finger chilli, thinly sliced
2 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
lemon wedges and natural yoghurt, to serve
Place the split peas, onion, tomatoes, ginger, ground cumin, turmeric, crushed garlic, curry leaves and stock into a slow cooker. Add most of the chilli and stir to combine. Cook on high for 4 hours, until the split peas are tender.
Season the dhal generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Just before serving, heat the oil in a saucepan. When the oil is very hot, add the whole cumin seeds and the sliced garlic. Fry until the garlic is golden-brown and the cumin smells toasty and almost smoky. Spoon the hot spiced oil over the dhal, scatter with the remaining green chilli, then serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.