Julia's split red lentil dahl

You can't make a big enough pot of this, especially if your feeding lots of people! Makes a good accompaniment to vegetable curry or simply serve with brown basmati rice or nan and mango chutney.

Lentils are beneficial to the heart and circulation, they stimulate the adrenal glands and support kidney health. They have the shortest cooking time of all the pulses.

Ingredients
250g spilt red lentils soaked and washed
1 large onion chopped
2 or 3 carrots chopped
2 or 3 potatoes chopped (optional)
3 teaspoons of Marigold vegan boullion
2 teaspoons of turmeric
1 teaspoon of cumin powder
2 teaspoons of coriander powder
2 teaspoons of dried coriander leaves (or use fresh coriander liberally)
finely chopped fresh garlic and fresh ginger
4 tablespoons of olive oil or ghee

Method
Soaking and washing the lentils helps to improve their digestibility. Wash until the water runs clear and soak for at least 30mins before cooking. Discard the soaking water.
Use half of the olive oil or ghee to fry the spices on a medium heat. After about 1 minute add the chopped onion and fry until soft, but not brown. Add the chopped vegetables, the lentils and about twice as much water in volume as the lentils and vegetables. You may add more water later as the lentils absorb it.
While the water is heating up, add 3 teaspoons of Marigold vegan boullion and 2 teaspoon of dried coriander leaves. Bring this to a boil and then turn down the heat to a simmer. It will take about 40 minutes to cook, but keep an eye on the pot in case you need to add more water. The lentils should be soft and mushy.
A few minutes before serving, fry the rest of the olive oil or ghee in a little pot on a medium heat adding 2 or 3 cloves of chopped garlic and ginger if liked. Fry until just about to turn golden brown. Stir this into the dahl just before serving. Sprinkle with fresh chopped coriander leaves if desired.

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