Dhal and homemade naan

Dhal and homemade naan 

Serves 3-4

The dhal recipe is stolen from Delicious magazine, but as our store cupboards and fresh herbs and vegetables run a bit low, I’ve adapted it to a more basic version. Also, we tried to buy yeast in the supermarket a couple of weeks ago, with no success so we made a yeast-free naan which still tastes pretty good.

Dhal:

300g red lentils

400ml tin of coconut milk

400g tin chopped tomatoes

vegetable oil

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp crushed coriander seeds

1 tsp chilli flakes

100g chopped kale 

1 tsp chilli flakes

Naan:

210g plain flour

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1tsp crushed coriander seeds

1 tblsp olive oil

120ml oat milk (or any plant based milk)

vegetable oil

Method:

Put the lentils in a large, heavy based, pan with a pinch of salt, the tin of coconut milk and 600ml water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the tin of tomatoes and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring regularly.

While the dhal is cooking, make the naan.

Add flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and spices  (just use whatever you’ve got in your cupboards) to a bowl and mix well.

Make a well in the middle of the mixture, add the olive oil and oat milk and combine until you’ve formed a ball of dough.

Turn it out onto your work surface and knead for at least five minutes until it’s elastic-y. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

While you’re doing this, arrange the kale onto a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil, a pinch of salt and the chilli flakes and put to one side. 

Pre-heat your oven to around 190 degrees celsius.

Divide the dough into 8 equally sized balls and roll the first one into a very thin circle around 5 inches in diameter.  Put a large frying pan on a medium heat and add a drizzle of vegetable oil to the pan. Add the first naan, and fry for a couple of minutes on each side, until they’re slightly charred. I fried the naan one by one, but you might be able to do them in pairs depending on the size of your frying pan. 

Fry the naan in batches, putting cooked ones onto a baking try in your oven.

When you’ve cooked your last naan and they’re all in the oven, add the kale to the top shelf of the oven and roast for 5 minutes.

When kale and naan are in the oven, make a spice mix for your dhal. Add curry powder, crushed coriander seeds and chilli flakes (or, again, whatever spices you have in your cupboard) to your frying pan along with 1 tblsp of vegetable oil. Fry on a medium to high heat for a couple of minutes.

Add spice mix to the dhal, reserving a few teaspoons, and mix well. 

Take kale and naan out of the oven.

Serve in bowls, drizzle with the remaining spice mix, top with roasted kale and a couple of naan each.