Ingredients

Method

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 x 400 g tins of plum tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons ghee or other cooking oil
• 2 unwaxed lemons
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled
• 8 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 green chillies, sliced
• 2 teaspoons golden caster sugar
• 50 ml white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• a small bunch of coriander (20 g), chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• a cinnamon stick
• 1 tablespoon Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
• 300 g split red lentils
• 1 × 400 g tin coconut milk
• 800 ml hot vegetable stock
• 250 g paneer or firm tofu

Method

Ingredients

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan.

2. Add 1 tablespoon coriander seeds and 2 teaspoons cumin seeds to a high-sided baking tray and toast in the oven for 2–4 minutes until fragrant, then remove and tip into a pestle and mortar and crush before returning to the tray. Drain 2 × 400 g tins of tomatoes and add to the tray. Use a potato masher or the back of a large spoon/fork to crush the tomatoes to release their juice and flatten them a little, and spread them evenly over the tray. Drizzle over 2 tablespoons ghee or oil, then grate in the zest of 1 unwaxed lemon and 1 thumb of ginger and add 8 sliced cloves of garlic. Toss the tomatoes in the spices and roast for 30 minutes until sticky and intensified in flavour.

3. Meanwhile, make the quick pickle. Put 2 sliced green chillies, 2 teaspoons golden caster sugar, 50 ml white wine vinegar and a teaspoon of salt into a small bowl and mix well. Add the zest of a second unwaxed lemon. Stir through a small bunch of chopped coriander, stems and all. Put in the fridge to keep cool.

4. Once the tomatoes have had their time, remove them from the oven and stir in 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, a cinnamon stick, 1 tablespoon Kashmiri chilli powder and 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds. Put back in the oven for a minute or two to toast the spices.

5. Take the tray out of the oven, add 300 g split red lentils and pour over a 400 ml tin coconut milk and 800 ml hot vegetable stock. Cover tightly with foil and return to the oven for another 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, carefully take the tray out of the oven and remove the foil. Stir the dal, then season well with sea salt. Tear 250g paneer or firm tofu over the top of the dal and squeeze over the juice of the 2 zested lemons. Return to the oven for a further 15 minutes or until the edges of the paneer are beginning to turn golden, the dal is creamy and the lentils are soft.

6. Serve with rice, rotis, yoghurt and chutney and the pickled chilli and coriander mixture. Will keep in the fridge for up to 7 days.

Extracted from ‘Easy Wins: 12 flavour hits, 125 delicious recipes, 365 days of good eating’ by Anna Jones (Fourth Estate). Photography by Matt Russell.

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