So, you wanna recipe eh? You want I should sell you my grandmother as well? Here goes, but it might be a bit patchy...

Recipe for a Vegetable Dhansak - that's a lentil puree blended with onion, veg, tomatoes & spices, and is a type of 'dhal'. Variants can substitute eg chicken for aubergine, but keep the quantities similar. You'll need:

Main ingredients-

  • 1/2 small cup each red & yellow lentils
  • 1/2 cup veg oil or ghee (something with not too much of its own flavour)
  • 3 medium onions
  • 2 gloves garlic
  • Tin of tomatoes
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  • Tin of chick peas
  • 1-2 small aubergine
  • 1 big potato
  • 4oz/115g tinned/frozen spinach(or probably 1/3 pack of fresh with stringy stalks trimmed off)
  • 1/2 pound small mushrooms
  • Also chopped fresh coriander, about 1/2 a cup, and you can add a little mint if you like it.
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Then some...Spices

  • 1tsp cummin seeds
  • 1 brown or 3 green gardamom, split
  • 5cm cassia bark and
  • 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds.

  • 1tsp turmeric
  • 1tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cummin
  • 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1/2 tsp or more chilli powder.
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OK - here goes... 1st - the lentils - wash em in a sieve, pick out grit (if liked!) and soak overnight. Or soak 2-3 hrs then simmer mercilessly without boiling the pan over.Use about 2x volume of water to lentils (3x if not soaked overnight), add a bit more if looks like sticking. Stir it a bit from time to time, and while you're at it,skim off some of that scum after it comes to the boil - that's the stuff that makes you fart.

While that happens, chop your onions pretty small, so they can make up part of the sauce. Maybe 3/4 cm, whatever you can be bothered with. Chop the garlic quite small, but big chunks with the aubergine & mushrooms. There's probably no need to put salt on the eggplant, like some recipes do.

Now's a good time to mix the 1st lot of spices. Crush cassia & cardamom under the side of a big knife. Heat up your wok or frying pan, stick in 1/2 the oil & add the spices, let it sizzle for 30 sec (to smell good) then add the chopped onions and garlic.

Fry the mix till the onion is golden, maybe 5 min.Then add the tomatoes and fry for 5min.Add the aubergine, rest of the oil + mushrooms, spinach and coriander and cook gently for 10 min - poke the mixture a bit if it's sticking.

Okay nearly there...Mix the 2nd lot of spices - doing it like this means you get to see what colours are going into the curry. 'ave a sniff an a sneeze. Back to the lentils...So, after about 30 min, they're getting a bit mushy. good, that's what you need. Turn em off.

Add the lentils to the mix in the pan, coarsely mash the lot. Add the chick peas. Now chuck in the 2nd lot of spices. Cook on for 40 min, letting it bubble gently.
This part can easily be done by placing everything in a pot in a low oven - about 150 to 160°C or gas mark 4-5. Serve with rice or breads (eg naan, paratha or chapattis), and pickles or chutneys.

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