Coconut red-lentil dhal with spinach & rice

Ingredients

Nutrition weights for 4 servings. Changing the batch size keeps the per-serving nutrition the same.

• Split red lentils, dry240 g
• White rice, dry200 g
• Canned coconut milk, regular fat200 g
• Canned tomatoes, no added salt, including juice400 g
• Brown onion, peeled150 g
• Garlic, peeled12 g
• Fresh ginger, peeled20 g
• Ground cumin5 g
• Ground turmeric2 g
• Olive oil20 g
• Baby spinach120 g
• Lemon juice40 g
• Iodised salt5 g
• Water for lentils, plus unsalted rice-cooking water650 g
• Fresh coriander15 g

Method

1. Rinse the dry lentils in a fine sieve. Finely dice onion and grate garlic and ginger. Heat oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion for 7–8 minutes until soft and beginning to turn golden; add garlic and ginger for 1 minute, then cumin and turmeric for 20–30 seconds.
2. Add lentils and 650 g water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook partly covered for 10 minutes, stirring several times and scraping the base. Add canned tomatoes with their juice, breaking them up, coconut milk and salt. Simmer for another 15–20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the lentils break down and are completely tender. Add small splashes of water if it catches; finish uncovered if too loose.
3. While the lentils simmer, cook the 200 g dry rice in unsalted water according to its packet, then let it rest covered for 5 minutes before fluffing. The recipe quantity is dry rice, not 200 g cooked rice.
4. Stir spinach into the dhal and cook for 2 minutes until wilted. Turn off the heat and add lemon juice. The dhal should spoon easily over rice, with no chalky lentil centres; it thickens as it stands. Loosen with hot water if needed.
5. Divide rice and dhal between four bowls and scatter over chopped coriander. Serve promptly. Cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours; use refrigerated rice within 2 days and reheat only once until steaming throughout.

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