I ‘loves me lentils’ and this recipe is super easy to prepare and is packed with ‘gut loving goodness’.
If you find that you could ‘wind’ power a small town when you eat pulses, try adding a pinch of the Indian spice, ‘asafoetida’ (aka; hing) to the cooking and ensure you soak and rinse your lentils well before cooking. Season with salt at the end of the cooking process, otherwise your lentils will not soften.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup red lentils
- 2 cups water (you may need to add more when cooking)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 dried chilli
- 1 tomato chopped
Throw all this in a pot and bring slowly to a simmer and cook away until very soft (I keep the lid on and use a simmer mat). You may need to add a bit more water as you go.
When your lentils are done dry fry, until aromatic, the following:
- 1 tspn nigella seeds (may be helpful in treating diabetes and headaches)
- 1 tspn black mustard seeds (may help menopausal women get to sleep – so says The Times of India…)
- 1 tspn fenugreek seeds (great for balancing blood sugars)
- 1 tspn fennel seeds (chew after meals to aid digestion)
- 1 tspn cumin seeds (another spice great for digestion)
If you like this combination of spices (it’s called panch poron), make up a batch (e.g. one tablespoon of each) to keep in the cupboard.
Throw (or gently place) this into your lentils and appreciate the sizzle. Add salt to taste.
Whilst your lentils are doing their thing put some vegetables on to roast.
If you would like a good gut mix then I highly recommend using a combination of:
- Onions
- Garlic
- Jerusalem artichoke (season will be over soon)
- Fennel
Season with salt, pepper and cumin powder and roast until soft at about 190C.
I enjoy this as a meal on its own, but you can add basmati rice (low on the glycaemic index) to make a fuller meal of it.
Enjoy!