Green Lentils with Ginger & Spinach

I’ve had flu for the last few days. I think that dal is the best thing for building you back up. The boy seems pleased to see me cooking again. Amazingly he’s fed up with KFC already.

200g green lentils

750ml water

6tbsp oil

2 green chillies, chopped

1tsp grated ginger

A handful chopped coriander

550g fresh spinach, chopped

2tsp salt

Black pepper

2-3tbsp lemon juice

The lentils don’t need soaking. These are like green split peas, but they do need a long simmer. About an hour, which is about long enough to listen to a Tchaikovsky symphony, full blast with the windows open. The boy likes symphony  number 5 whenever there is a summer  thunder storm.

In another pan, heat the oil and add the chillies and garlic. Both burn easily, so cook them slowly. Put the spinach in and give it a good stir with a wooden spoon. The overwhelming amount of spinach soon shrinks down.

I like rice with my dal, so I’m putting it on now. I’m sautéing onions until they are glossy but not brown, before adding the rice and water to the same pan. The onions will give the rice some sweetness. It’s a Madhur Jaffrey thing, and I love her.

Back to the dal. Add the cooked lentils to the spinach mix, along with the salt and simmer for another 25 minutes. Add the black pepper and lemon juice, which gives it a lovely freshness. Get the boy to taste. He thinks it needs more fresh coriander. I agree.

As well as the rice, we’re having this with yoghurt and walnuts. Yoghurt, more coriander leaves, walnuts, a green chilli, salt and pepper. The yoghurt should be as thick as you can get it. Chop what needs chopping and mix. If asked, the boy would say he could never be vegetarian. And yet…..