[Recipes]

Easy peasy lentil curry

Ingredients

2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 medium onions,
cut into rough wedges
4 tbsp curry paste
850ml vegetable stock
750g stewed vegetables
100g red lentils
200g basmati rice
turmeric
handful of raisins and
roughly chopped parsley
poppadams and mango
chutney, to serve

Method

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onions and cook over a high heat for about eight minutes or until they are golden brown. Stir in the curry paste and cook for a minute.

Slowly pour in a little of the stock so it sizzles, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan. Gradually pour in the rest of the stock.

Stir the vegetables, cover and simmer for five minutes. Add the lentils and simmer for a further 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables and lentils are cooked.

While the curry is simmering, cook the rice, adding the turmeric to the cooking water. Drain well. Season the curry with salt, toss in a handful of raisins and chopped parsley, then serve with the rice, poppadums and chutney.

Lemon pudding

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 1/2 cups milk
3 large egg yolks,
lightly beaten
2 tablespoons finely
grated lemon zest
Pinch salt
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Method

Whisk the sugar and the cornstarch together in a medium saucepan. Add the milk and whisk until smooth. Add the egg yolks, zest, and salt and cook, stirring frequently at first and constantly towards the end, over medium heat until thickened enough to thickly coat the back of a spoon.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and butter. Pour through a strainer into a large serving bowl or four individual serving dishes.

Let cool to room temperature. Chill, loosely covered, for at least two hours and up to three days, or until set and thoroughly chilled. Serve chilled.