Dhal with Spinach and Green Peas [vegetarian/vegan]

It is thanks to Dhal that I started to appreciate lentils. I used to find them quite bland and uninteresting but when I tried them combined with spices like e.g. turmeric, paprika, ginger or chilli, I realized how tasty and appealing lentils could be.

Tarka Dhal was the first dish of this kind I had many years ago and I simply loved it. And I still do when it is on a table at my home or in a restaurant along with kormas or baltis: moving from one taste to another is just such a wonderful experience. But what to do if there is not enough time to cook more than one dish? Then, I guess, we can cook dhal with some extras like for example spinach and green peas as in the recipe below.

INGREDIENTS (for 4 portions):

2 shallots, thinly chopped,

1 tbsp olive oil,

4 garlic cloves, thinly cut,

1 chilli pepper, thinly chopped,

2 tsp grated ginger,

0.5 tsp turmeric,

1 tsp mild paprika,

250g red lentils, rinsed,

600 ml water,

6 tomatoes on the vine, peeled and chopped,

100g frozen green peas,

2 handfuls of spinach, roughly chopped,

Juice from 0.5 lime,

Salt and pepper

METHOD:

1. On a medium heat warm up the olive oil, add the chopped shallots and fry for 1 minute.
2. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli; fry stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes.  Be careful with adding chilli as smaller peppers are spicier than bigger ones. So you may want to add less at the beginning and - depending on how spicy you would like your dish to be – add more later.
3. Add turmeric and paprika fry for 2 minutes more.
4. Stir in the lentils, add water, bring to boil and cook for 30 minutes, stirring from time to time to make sure the Dhal doesn't burn. If necessary, add more water.
5. Add the green peas, lime juice and seasoning and at the end stir in the spinach.

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Green Pea Soup [vegetarian]

Green peas are very high on my own list of favourite vegetables. I like them for many reasons: their slightly sweet taste, their beautiful green colour and also for their versatility. You can add them to salads, soups, stews; together with a boiled egg and a bit of mayo they make a great and speedy snack or they can be served as a side dish for a roast or any other meat or fish dish.

A list of health benefits of green peas is equally impressive. They contain phytonutrients that lower risk of stomach cancer as well as provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Green peas are also very good source of manganese, Vitamins K and B1. But it is the excellent protein and fibre content that regulates a rate of food digestion and keeps our blood sugar on a steady level that is especially important as it reduces risk of type 2 diabetes. 

So I hope I have convinced you that – along with other legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans, etc.) – we should eat more green peas (at least 3 cups of legumes per week). So why not start with this delicious soup?

INGREDIENTS (4 lunch or 6 starter portions):

1 tbsp olive oil,

1 tbsp butter,

1 onion, chopped,

400g potatoes, peeled and chopped,

750ml vegetable stock,

450g frozen green peas,

150ml milk,

Salt and pepper.

METHOD:

1. In a medium size pot warm up the olive oil and butter, add the onion and sweat on a medium heat for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
2. Add the potatoes, stir them with the onions and cook for 5 minutes more (it is important not to burn the onions).
3. Add the stock, bring to boil, lower the heat to medium and cook covered for 10-15 minutes till the potatoes are soft.
4. Add the green peas and milk, bring to boil and cook for 3 minutes more.
5. Check the seasoning and liquidise until nice and smooth.

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