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Donal Skehan
Indian Dal with Roast Sweet Potatoes, Red Onion & Chickpeas | DonalSkehan.com, A comforting, spiced lentil dish that the whole family will love.
  • main-meals

Indian Dal with Roast Sweet Potatoes, Red Onion & Chickpeas

May 02

A dal is one of those life-saving meals – it seems like no matter how bare your cupboards are, there’s always a bag of lentils lurking around, awaiting their moment of glory! And what a glorious dish this Indian staple is. I’ve added chunks of sweet potato, sticky onions and roasted chickpeas to mine for a bit of added interest and texture.

 

  • serves Serves 4
  • time 50 mins

Method

  1. 1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C/400°F/Gas Mark 5.
  2. 2. Place the sweet potato, red onion and chickpeas on a large roasting tray and drizzle generously with olive oil before sprinkling with curry powder, salt and pepper. Toss the vegetables until completely coated.
  3. 3. Place in the oven to roast for 45 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender. If the red onion begins to char remove from the tray.
  4. 4. For the dahl, put the lentils into a heavy-based pan, with the ginger, the coriander stalks and a teaspoon of salt then pour over the coconut milk and 600ml of water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, adding the tomatoes after 10 minutes.
  5. 5. After 30 minutes the lentils will have broken down and will be thick and creamy. Then whisk until the mixture becomes smooth. If it is too thick then you can add a little more water. Leave to simmer gently while you get the spice mixture ready.
  6. 6. Heat the oil in a small heavy-based frying pan. Add the turmeric, cumin, ground coriander, mustard seeds, red chilli and curry leaves. Leave them to temper. The oil should be bubbling and the seeds popping. This will take about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
  7. 7. Stir straight into the lentils reserving 1 tablespoon. Be careful, as the mixture may spit a little. Whisk until well combined and then stir in the baby spinach, lemon juice and spring onions.
  8. 8. Ladle the dahl into wide bowls, top with the roast vegetables and then garnish with coriander leaves, reserved spices, spring onions and a dollop of natural yoghurt to serve.

Ingredients

For the roast sweet potatoes:

2 large sweet potatoes, cut in rough chunks

2 large red onions, roots trimmed, sliced in quarters

1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp hot curry powder

Sea salt and ground black pepper

For the dahl:

300g red lentils

1 tsp freshly grated ginger

A handful of coriander, stalks finely chopped and leaves roughly chopped

1 x 400ml coconut milk

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

3 tbsp sunflower oil

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp of mustard seeds

1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

8 curry leaves (fresh is best or dried)

100g baby spinach leaves

juice of 1 lemon

2 spring onions, finely sliced

To serve:

2 spring onions, finely sliced

Natural yoghurt