Kirsty Hale specialises in
recipes rich with seasonal
wholesome food
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Rooty CoConut
Dal with
stiCky RiCe
see off the last days of winter with this versatile,
nutritious curry from Riverford’s kirsty hale…
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This recipe is good for using up odds and ends of
root veg, something we’re always trying to inspire our
customers to do, so they use every last tasty bit of
their veg box. It was my Sikh housemate at college
who taught me how to make a dal. Cheap, healthy
and colourful, they’re the perfect warming week-day
meal, and not just for students; I still make them
regularly. Adding veg just makes it all the better for you, and coconut adds a sweetness that
goes well with the root veg. In winter I use roots, cabbage, kale and roasted cauliflower. In
summer, try adding spring greens, spinach or chard. Turmeric and ginger are really good
for the digestion.
I used to use coconut oil back in the 80s on my curly, unruly hair, but now we sell it
alongside our veg boxes for cooking. Our bodies metabolise it well and it’s good for use in
stir fries and curries, or for roasting vegetables for a slightly different flavour to other oils.
It’s still not bad as a moisturiser, either! Lentils can vary in their cooking time, so make sure
yours are soft before eating. If you can’t get yellow mung dal lentils, you can use red split
lentils instead.
Recipe
prep 10 min s, cook 3 0 min s,
ser ves 2
300g mixed root veg (peeled & diced weight)
Coconut oil for frying
100g jasmine rice
Salt
1 onion, peeled & finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled & finely chopped or
crushed
4cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled & grated
¼ tsp turmeric
1 crumbled dried chilli, or a good pinch or two or
chilli flakes
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted & ground
1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted & ground
100g yellow mung dal lentils (or use red lentils),
rinsed in a sieve
1 tin of coconut milk
Handful of coriander leaves
1 lime or lemon
Toasted coconut chips or toasted desiccated
coconut to garnish
Method
Preheat oven to 200˚C/180˚C/gas mark
5. Put root veg in a baking dish with 1
tbsp of coconut oil. Pop in the oven for
5 mins, then remove and toss the veg
in the melted oil. Roast for 20-25 mins,
until tender. Meanwhile, put the rice in a
pan with 500ml water and a pinch of salt.
Heat until boiling, cover and boil for 10
mins, then turn off the heat and leave it
covered to steam. Heat 1 tbsp coconut
oil in a pan. Add the onion and fry on a
low heat for 10 mins until soft. Then turn
the heat on the onion pan up slightly.
Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, chilli and
mustard seeds. Stir for 1 min, until you
hear the mustard seeds pop. Add the
cumin, coriander, lentils, coconut milk.
Refill the tin half full with water and add
that too. Bring up to the boil, reduce the
heat and simmer for 20 mins. Season
the dal with salt, stir in coriander and
add a squeeze of lime or lemon juice.
Serve the dal on the rice, with the roots,
sprinkled with toasted coconut.
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