Recipe Box: Dal Palak

Meet Dal Palak. It's a lovely Indian curry made from lentils and spinach and it comes with a nice spicy kick! You can make it soupy or more like a stew, depending on how you feel at the time :)

I adapted an American recipe to UK standards and yummmm! I had a technical hitch while making this; the lights blew out as I started cooking and so I made the curry in candlelight. Who said romance was dead?! The recipe makes a generous amount (I had to split it into two pans!) and would serve around 8 people.

Ingredients

Olive oil.
1 large onion, diced.
2 medium-sized potatoes, cubed.
1 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped.
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped.
2 teaspoons coriander.
1 tablespoon garam masala.
2 teaspoons chilli powder.
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes.
295g spinach, washed and sliced into ribbons (even Popeye would be satisfied!).
190g lentils.
700ml water.
Salt.

To the kitchen!

• Heat up a spoonful of oil in a large soup pan over a medium heat, adding in the onions and a pinch of salt when the oil is ready. 
• When the onions are looking translucent, throw in the potatoes and another pinch of salt, and cook until the edges are starting to appear a bit see-through (technical term ;).
• Clear a space in the middle of the pan and add in the ginger, garlic, spices and a little more salt.
• Cook for around 30 seconds and then stir it all up. 
• Add the tomatoes complete with juices, the spinach and the lentils and stir to combine all whilst adding in the water.
• Bring to the boil then allow to simmer for around 45 minutes, making sure that the lentils and potatoes are cooked through. 
• Et voila! Bon appetit :)