Health Benefits:
Lentils are absolutely loaded with fiber. In about a cup and a half lentils there is almost a whole daily recommended amount.

They are also extremely high in iron, making these a great dish for anybody with anemia.

They are high protein, copper, potassium and B1.

Due to their high fiber and magnesium they have been proven to assist in hearth health.

Buying lentils:

Buying no-soak lentils (check the bag), is the way to go. There is no real difference in flavor or texture between the ones that need to be soaked overnight and those that can be cooked immediately.

Red Lentil Dal: A fantastic vegan Indian side dish.

Ingredients:
Ghee or vegetable oil
1 Large onion
1 Large carrot
1-2 garlic cloves
1 chili (depending on how hot you like it)
1 tablespoon of curry powder or curry paste (that’s paste not sauce!)
A little saffron (optional)
A little grated ginger
2 tomatoes - skinned and diced
1 cup of red lentils
4 cups of water – (maybe more), or vegetable stock
Coriander leaves

Method:

1. Finely dice the onion and small-dice carrot and fry until onion is very soft

2. Stir in the chopped garlic and finely chopped chili and simmer for a minute or so

3. Add the spices (curry powder, ginger and optional saffron), stir for another minute

4. Add the chopped tomatoes, lentils then cover with 3-4 cups of vegetable stock or water and let it simmer for around 20 minutes.
Keep an eye on the consistency and add more stock / water as required.

The consistency should be thicker than a lentil soup but should not be a solid lump! The lentils should be starting to break apart but still have some form, and should be quite soft.

5. Add a few tablespoons of coriander leaves, stir and serve.

Serve with Basmati Rice:
Note tips for perfect basmati rice at:
http://www.xomba.com/basmati_rice_tips_nutrition_health

This dish is great served with naan bread or chapatti, as its great mopped up with Indian bread.

A recipe to turn store bought bread into something more fancy can be found here:

http://www.xomba.com/easy_coriander_and_garlic_nan_bread_cheat

Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for vegans if use vegetable oil and not ghee.

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