Lentil & Vegetable Dhal

To be fair - I hate bland food! The food I enjoy needs to be full of flavour and express itself - tell me all about itself with every mouthful. This doesn't mean it needs to be over the top. I love a good roast as long as it's cooked well and the gravy is homemade. I adore the release of flavour if something has been cooked with fresh herbs and spices. Homemade desserts also hit the spot especially when they are made with love.

I guess I should thank my parents, who were always adventurous with cooking new foods and using different flavours - no boring meat and three veg on a Tuesday in their household that's for sure - nor in mine! From a young age I was exposed to different flavours, textures and tastes with my parents favourite restaurant being Jim Hongs, a Chinese Restaurant located in Pontypridd, South Wales (I'm talking back in the late 60's and early 70's), even more so when we emigrated to Australia, where the opportunity to explore, discover and try new foods was bountiful. Saying this my dad and mam went above and beyond. My dad loved to cook curries from scratch and my mam loved to cooked Chinese (even went to Chinese Cooking Classes) even though both of them are Welsh.

So speaking of flavours - I'd have to say Indian Cuisine is high on the favourites list in this house - our kids especially adore Butter Chicken! Hubby and I like to try all different dishes, ranging from mild to hot in heat and from different areas of the Indian cuisine. One of my favourites is Dhal. Dhal Makhani to be precise. A lentil and bean dish cooked with spices , lots of butter and cream. It's nice and satisfying but not too kind to you if you are on a diet.

Dhal, who else likes it? I recently purchased a new WW (Weight Watchers) Cookbook, Healthy Slow Cooker, and to my excitement their was this recipe, Lentil & Vegetable Dhal, which I knew I just had to try. Very easy to make, definitely full of flavour and not to mention nice and filling for a hearty winters lunch. Even better the recipe is freezable so I have a few portions for lunch another day.

Lentil & Vegetable Dhal

(recipe adapted from WW Healthy Slow Cooking)

Serves: 4

💚 6sp per serve

💙 1sp per serve

💜 1sp per serve

1 teaspoons olive oil

1 large brown onion, finely chopped

3 carrots, peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon brown mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon curry powder (optional)

1 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained

3 tomatoes chopped

3 cups water

3 cups spinach leaves

salt

freshly ground black pepper

100 grams plain low fat yoghurt

coriander leaves, to garnish

fresh chilli, to garnish

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook onion and carrot, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened.

Add garlic, tumeric, mustard seeds, chilli and curry, if using, and cook, stirring fo 1 minute, or until fragrant.

Transfer to a 4.5 litre (18 cup) slow cooker. Stir in the lentils, tomatoes and water.

Cook, covered, on high for 4 hours (or low for 6 hours). Stir occasionally.

Stir in the spinach until just wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve garnished with yoghurt, coriander and fresh chilli.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe.)