Dal with Raita-Tossed Curried Veg, Poppadoms, and Tomato Chutney

 This simple recipe for creamy red lentil dal goes perfectly with an assortment of sides: curried, roasted vegetables tossed in coriander raita, homemade tomato chutney, and poppadom bites. A warming, flavoursome meal packed with protein and vitamins! The lentil dal is also low in calories (under 300kcals per serving if using light coconut milk). 

Red lentil curry (dal) with sides: poppadoms, tomato chutney, roasted vegetables and raita. 

Serves: 4 

Ingredients:

For the roasted vegetables:

• mixed vegetables, chopped (I used about 200g broccoli, 1 courgette, 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 1 aubergine, 1 large carrot)
• spices: 1 tsp chilli flakes, 1 tbsp curry powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp ground coriander, 2 tsp garam masala.
• salt and pepper
• drizzle olive oil
• chopped almonds (optional- for topping)

For the dal:

• drizzle olive oil
• red onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• couple inches fresh ginger, grated
• salt and pepper
• spices: 1 tsp chili flakes, 2 tbsp curry powder, 1 tsp turmeric, 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp coriander, pinch ground mustard, 1 tbsp garam masala (adjust spices to taste)
• 190g dry red lentils, rinsed
• 1 400ml can coconut milk (regular or light)
• 2 400ml cans chopped tomatoes
• vegetable stock (400-500ml)
• several large handfuls spinach
• lemon juice
• coriander

For the raita:

• large handful coriander, rinsed (with stems)
• small handful mint
• small clove garlic
• pinch chili flakes
• pinch cumin
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
• pinch salt and pepper
• 250ml vegan plain yogurt (I used no added sugar alpro) 

Everything else:

• tomato chutney: I used this recipe.
• poppadoms: I used this recipe. 
• lemon juice

Method:

Prepare the roasted vegetables:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C
2. Place the chopped roasted vegetables in a large roasting tin, and toss them with a drizzle of olive oil, the spices, and some salt and pepper. 
3. Roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked, stirring them every 10 minutes or so. 

Meanwhile, make the dal: 

1. Heat a little oil over medium high in a large pan. 
2. Finely chop the onion, and add to the pan. Sauté for 5-8 minutes until soft and translucent, then add the minced garlic and grated ginger for a couple minutes. 
3. Stir in the spices and seasoning, and allow the spices to cook for about a minute. 
4. Add the rinsed red lentils and stir through so they are coated in the spice. 
5. Stir in the coconut milk, chopped tomatoes, and the vegetable stock. Reduce the heat to medium (try not to let the coconut milk boil) and simmer for about 25 minutes. You may need to add a couple splashes of water if it looks too dry. The curry is cooked when the lentils are soft. (Leaving the curry to cook for longer over a low heat makes the curry more flavoursome.)
6. A couple minutes before serving, stir in the spinach and the lemon juice, and cook until the spinach has wilted.
7. Top with coriander to serve.

To make the raita:

1. Blend the coriander, mint, garlic, chilli flakes, cumin, lemon juice, salt and pepper. 
2. Whisk into the yogurt. 
3. Taste and adjust seasoning/spices.

To serve:

1. Serve the curry with plenty of freshly ground pepper, coriander, and lemon juice.
2. To serve the vegetables, drizzle them with some of the raita and top with chopped almonds.
3. Serve with poppadoms, tomato chutney, and the rest of the raita. 

Enjoy! :)