Best Vegan Christmas Pudding (with allergy options too!)

Every year it is my intention to bring you a Christmas Pudding recipe BUT before I know it Christmas is almost here, I make my pud but then the only photo I have is from the big day itself… which is of course too late!

Last weekend Christmas pudding happened to pop into my head and then I wondered when ‘Stir Up Sunday‘ was (usually I miss that too!) - it happened to be the next weekend - in six days time as I write this, yay!

So you have a few days to get your ingredients in and join me on Stir Up Sunday to make your very own pud AND make a wish - it’s the day wishes are said to come true! You can of course make your pudding any time before Christmas ;-)

Stir Up Sunday is the last Sunday before the first Sunday in advent and if you are interested you can read more of it’s origins here.

I made this recipe last year and the pic below is from last Christmas. You’ll have to forgive the fact it’s not the best photo… we were all full flow in Christmas mode, the lighting was bad (no good daylight!) and there was a table of hungry people eagerly waiting to eat it!

I also added some allergy options to the recipe (that I have also experimented with in the past) so that the recipe caters for as many people as possible… other than the crazy Christmas Pudding haters! ;-)

I’ll let you into a secret, for most of my life until I reached my 30’s (maybe it coincided with going vegan- not sure) I didn’t like dried fruits so I never ate Christmas pudding and mince pies…. wow, I was missing out on so much! But not any more!

For more Christmas pudding inspired ideas check out the links below the recipe…. you can have pudding for breakfast dessert and snacks.

Enjoy… let me know if you make it and tag me on instagram

Best Vegan Christmas Pudding

Serves approx 6 people.

With options for: gluten free, alcohol free, palm oil free, refined sugar free.

• 1/2 cup plain flour (also works with oat flour or gluten-free flour blends)

• 1 tsp ground nutmeg

• 1 tsp mixed spice

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/3 cup soft brown sugar or coconut sugar

• 2/3 cup breadcrumbs (use gluten-free if preferred)

• 1/2 cup vegan suet*

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 ½ tbsp black treacle or blackstrap molasses

• 1/3 cup of liquid - this can be plant milk, juice, gingerbeer, stout, ale, sherry, brandy or rum

• zest and juice of one orange

• 1 medium apple - finely grated/pureed (I have also added grated carrot before but that is not traditional!)

• 2 cups mixed dried fruit of choice - sultanas, raisins, currants, mixed peel, cherries, apricots (optionally you can also soak the fruit in alcohol of choice for up to a week before).

• 1/2 cup chopped dates

Method

Sift the flour with spices, salt and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.

Add all the other ingredients and mix well to a soft dropping consistency.

Grease a 2-pint basin well and fill with the mixture leaving about 1 inch free from the top to allow for rising. Cover with a circle of greaseproof paper that slightly runs up the inside of the rim and then aluminium foil over that wrapping it tightly over the edge, secure tightly with string round the outside of the bowl (basically just make sure its well sealed as it's steaming). I then make a string 'handle' by tying to opposite sides the perimeter string to that it is easy to lift out of the saucepan afterwards.

Place a small object - like a saucer - in the bottom of the saucepan and place the bowl on top (so it doesn't directly touch the base) and pour in boiling water halfway up the sides of the basin. Simmer gently for 4-5 hours, topping up the water as necessary.

Once cooked (peep under the foil/parchment and a toothpick should come away clean) the pudding can be kept cold until needed fully wrapped. It will keep for a month (if alcohol-free) or up to 6 months if it contains alcohol since alcohol acts as a preservative. If you want to keep an alcohol free pudding for longer you can also freeze it.

Steam or microwave until warmed through to serve. (steam for up to an hour from room temperature in a saucepan to heat through)

Serve with vegan custard or ice cream, whipped coconut cream or vegan single cream.

* As suet contains palm oil you may prefer to substitute the vegan suet for coconut oil - I have tried this and it works well (this is also a useful recipe resource). I have also read that cocoa butter can be used (but I have not tried this). Measure the oil as half a cup in liquid form.

Other vegan Christmas Pudding recipes that inspired me:

• https://avirtualvegan.com/ultimate-vegan-christmas-pudding/

• https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/vegan-christmas-pudding

• https://www.thevegspace.co.uk/recipe-the-ultimate-vegan-christmas-pudding/

• https://www.vegansociety.com/resources/recipes/special-occasions/christmas-pudding

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Here are some other Christmas Pudding creations from my recipe archives, if you fancy giving them a go!

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Quick Xmas Pudding For One!

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Mini Xmas Pud Porridge... in just 3 mins!

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Mini No-Bake Xmas Puds!

If you feel inspired this festive season... grab a digital bundle featuring my best selling 'Ultimate Bliss Ball Guide' AND 2 x Christmas Recipe Cards for just £5!

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50 Vegan Curries Recipe Round-up for National Curry Week!

Earlier this week a friend reminded me that as well as being National Porridge Day... it was also National Curry Week! Oh gosh... I couldn't let that one sail by- I love a good curry! Actually, it was one of the first dishes I made on this blog and that recipe is still a firm favourite with everyone who had tried it since, and it has starred in many of my retreats!

I conjured up a super simple '5-minute curry' creation as shared below, but also decided to reach out to the wonderful community of Finding Vegan bloggers so see if they'd like to share with me their own favourite curry recipes and curry relates side dishes. I've added a couple of mine in the mix too. 

Ooooh it's turned into a big juicy round-up with plenty of inspiration to see you right through the winter and beyond. Bookmark this page (or save it to Evernote which is what I usually do)  and give them a go... let me know what you make! :-)

>>> Make sure you scroll down to below my '5-minute curry' recipe to check out the round-up recipe collection! <<<

Recipe: 5-Minute Coconut Curry

(cos' it literally only takes 5 mins - or 7 at tops!) ;-)
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1/2 onion
2 cloves of garlic
3 sun-dried tomatoes
2 tbs curry powder (or paste of choice)
1/2 cup grated courgette
1/2 cup grated carrot (or sweet potato)
1/4 cup coconut cream flakes*
1 1/2 cup boiling water*
1 heaped tsp veg stock (or 1 stock cube)
1 can of chickpeas
2 handfuls spinach (or other green leafy veg)

(*or sub 1 can coconut milk and a little extra water at the end to reach desired consistency)

Method:

Finely chop the onion, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes by hand or in a mini chopper, transfer to a lightly oiled medium sauce-pan and fry for 1-2 minutes. Meanwhile grate the courgette and carrot, once grated add to the pan along with the remaining ingredients and cook for a further 4-5 minutes.

Serve into bowls and optionally decorate with fresh coriander on top (if you have it- I didn't at the time!) Serve with quinoa, rice or naan as desired.

There are 50 epic recipes in this round up... there were many more to choose from but we would have been here all day if I'd included them all, so I chose a delicious selection to offer the biggest variety!

Enjoy...

(Pics run Left-Right, Top-Bottom)

• Kathy @ Health Happy Life - Curried Eggy Scramble Toasts

• Shannon @ Yup It's Vegan - Lentil Spinach Curry with Coconut Rice

• Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine - Thai Green Curry Tacos

• Linda @ Veganosity - Simple Curry with Tofu and Pineapple

• Melissa @ My Wholefood Life - Chickpea Curry Lettuce Wraps

• Rhian @ Rhian's Recipes - Vegan Chickpea Curry Salad Sandwich

• Mary @ V Nutrition and Wellness - Quick Curried Noodles with Toasted Cashews

• Melanie @ A Virtual Vegan - Green Bean and Potato Curry

• Steve @ Circus Gardener - Green Pea and Coconut Dahl

• Marina @ Yummy Mummy Kitchen - Yellow Curry with Chickpeas

• Jennifer @ Veggie Inspired - Curried Tofu Salad

• Dixya @ Food Pleasure and Health - Restaurant Style Red Thai Curry

• Uma @ Mrishtanner - Cabbage Koftas

• Diane @ Plant-Based Cooking - Thai Curried Potatoes with Chard

• Rebecca @ Vegan Blueberry - Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry in the Slow Cooker

• Kaitlin @ The Garden Grazer - Vegetable Curry Soup

• Melissa @ The Stingy Vegan - Curried Rice Vegan Buddha Bowl

• Karen @ Soup Addict - Vegetarian Curried Lentil Stew

• Kaila @ Healthy Helper - Coconut Curry Quinoa Risotto

• Melville @ Sugar Loves Spice - Red Curry with Coconut and Squash

• Brandi @ The Vegan 8 - Easy 1 Pot Creamy Curry Rice Soup

• Jacinthe @ Simply Vegelicious - White Bean and Butternut Squash Curry

• Tricia @ Rhubarbarians - Roasted Masala Cauliflower with Coconut Lentils

• Jasmine @ Sweet Simple Vegan - Curried Cashew Veggie Trailmix

• Richa @ Vegan Richa - Cauliflower Kofta Curry

• Aaliyah @ Sipping On Soy - Eggplant and Lentil Peanut Butter Curry

• Katie @ Delightful Vegans - Vegan Palak Paneer

• Sarah @ Champagne Tastes - Slow Cooker Vegetable Masala

• Jess @ Choosing Chia - My Favourite Red Lentil Dahl

• Dianne @ Dianne's Vegan Kitchen - Coconut Curry Tempeh

• Michelle @ Healthier Steps - Curried Cabbage

• Molly @ Cooking With Molly - Healthy Indian Cauliflower and Peas Recipe

• Alexis @ Hummusapien - Curried Chickpea Salad

• Brittany @ Eating Bird Food - Curried Tempeh Salad

• Jackie @ Vega Yack Attack - Slow Cooker Potato Curry Chilli

• Caitlin @ From My Bowl - Mango Curry Jackfruit Tacos

• Sarah @ Fried Dandelions - Coconut Carrot Rice

• Kari @ Beautiful Ingredient - Vegetable Curry with Quinoa and Red Lentils

• Amber @ Quite Good Food - Mushroom Korma with Chickpeas

• Cadry @ Cadry's Kitchen - Indian Vegetable Fried Rice

• Charity @ Vintage Kitty - Green Thai Curry

• Hedi @ Hedi Hearts - Clean Eating Veggie Curry Recipe

• Anjali @ Vegetariangastronomy - Tomato Sev Curry

• Anne @ The Mostly Healthy - Easy Vegan Naan Bread

• Aimee @ Wallflower Kitchen - Easy Vegan Samosa Pie

• Swati @ Watch What U Eat - Red Lentil Curry

• Becky @ Glue And Glitter - All Purpose Coconut Curry Sauce

• Sam @ Ahead Of Thyme - Pumpkin Chickpea Coconut Curry

• Jo (me!) - Courgette Curry Soup

• Jo (me again to wrap it up!) - Super Simple Gluten Free Flatbread

Enjoyed this round-up? ...please share!

Also, let me know what other round-ups you'd like to see in the future!

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Chocolate, Carrot & Mushroom (yep!) Porridge... for World Porridge Day!

It's World Porridge Day today... and in order to celebrate, I am sharing a porridge recipe with a chocolatey theme for some extra celebratory indulgence!

What's World Porridge Day all about?

Taken from Mary's Meals website, "In Malawi and Liberia, where we have our largest school feeding programmes, the children receive vitamin-enriched maize porridge every school day. World Porridge Day celebrates the huge difference this daily mug of porridge makes to the lives of chronically hungry children." 

Head over to their website to find out how you can help support the project and share your #PorridgeSmiles (see my entry down below!)

I'm also sharing the love for RealFoodSource who have just launched a new range of amazing porridge blends full of chunky goodness and free from refined sugars. I was sent some samples last week for recipe testing and I am seriously so impressed, I will be sharing the results with you soon!

Back to my recipe! This ticks all my boxes- oats, veg and a 'booster' this time in the form of medicinal mushroom powder... my new best friend!

Adding medicinal mushrooms to anything chocolatey is great as it compliments the earthy flavour. It also works fantastically in a latte style drink with chai spices or of course a hot chocolate. I made a chocolate pudding with it here. 

I use a blend of organic chaga, reishi and cordyceps (I buy as separate small packs and mix them together in a tub ready to use as it was cheaper to do it that way) but any medicinal mushroom powder would work.

Porridge is not just perfect for breakfast, on this occasion I think it was lunch (or maybe brunch) whilst I was working (yep I went for the in-situ shot for a change) and I topped it with some dark choc chunks and a few small bliss balls I'd made that were left over from an event. 

In this recipe, I used finely grated carrot, but I could have used courgette or sweet potato for equally great results.

If that wasn't enough, for even more porridge recipes... click here for my porridge ebook (or scroll down and click the front cover pic) and for the rest of this month as a tribute to #Worldporridgeday grab yourself a 20% discount when you buy the book and quote PORRIDGEDAY20 at the checkout!

Enjoy getting all porridged up! :-)

 Recipe: Chocolate, Carrot & Mushroom Porridge

Serves 1 

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup porridge oats

• 1 cup non-dairy milk of choice

• 1 small carrot- finely grated

• 1 heaped tsp medicinal mushroom powder

• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder/paste

• approx 1 tbs syrup of choice or coconut sugar to taste

• 2 tbs raw cacao

• for optional decoration- dark chocolate chunks, bliss balls, turmeric dusted coconut.

Method: 

Add all ingredients except the medicinal mushroom powder to a small pan on the stove. Simmer for about five minutes, until cooked. Take off the head and add a little extra liquid if desired to achieve desired texture and stir through the medicinal mushroom powder just before serving to retain the maximum nutritional benefit. Add any toppings of choice or a drizzle of extra sweetness and serve.

Grab my ebook here... for the rest of October I am offering 20% discount when you buy the book and quote PORRIDGEDAY20 at the checkout!

P.s do you like my carrot cake tabby cat I made for breakfast this morning for my Mary's Meals #PorridgeSmiles...

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Spicy red pepper risotto

A few weeks ago a friend informed me that she had a vegetarian and wheat free guest coming for dinner….’what should she cook?’

Looking back through my recipes I realised that I had a shortage of substantial main meals since many of my recipes are healthy sweet treats or those that are savouries are snacks, sides or lighter bites.

However my winning recipe and the one I recommended to my friend is my sweet potato chickpea curry

….one of the first meals I ever made when transitioning to the vegan lifestyle, and still one of my favourite go-to recipes even now. Even the meat-eaters love this dish. 

Mmmmm...sweet potato curry!

I have also had a similar discussion in recent days with my dad who has been struggling to break out of a vegan food rut and bring some simple but interesting protein rich meals back into his diet. Getting a healthy balanced vegan diet does require a little effort to make sure you hit the nutritional quota…but luckily I love the challenge and so was all the more up for getting a variety of substantial main meals on the table.

So, in order to address this balance I will hopefully be adding a few more ‘main meals’ to the recipe collection in coming days and weeks. Meals that are both vegan and gluten free but most importantly should satisfy even the hardcore meat-eaters in your life! There will still be plenty of sweets as well!

Here is a little recap of some of my other ‘main meal’ dishes so far, you can find them all under my newly organised recipe collection- see this link.

For today I wanted to get the ball rolling with a simple one-pot dish, perfect for both the summer or winter months.

Serve a smaller portion with a large side salad in summer, or a larger heartier portion to warm you through during the winter months. This spicy red pepper risotto had a kick to it, so feel free to go easy on the spices if you prefer!

In addition I used red palm oil to create a rich deep yellow, but this is in no way essential.

Recipe: Spicy red pepper risotto

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

• 1tbs red palm oil (for orange colour) or use coconut oil or olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves
• (crushed)
• 1 red or white onion-finely chopped
• 2 red peppers- cut into slices
• A pinch of salt
• ¼ tsp parika
• ¼ tsp turmeric (optional- if you want a yellow colour without the red palm oil)
• ¼ tsp chilli flakes (add more or less to taste)
• 1 1/3 cup risotto rice
• 2 ½ cups vegetable stock
• 2/3 cup dry white wine (or more stock)
• 1 can red kidney beans

Method

In a deep saucepan, fry onions, peppers, garlic, and spices in oil for about 5 mins.

Add the rice and mix through for 1 minute.

Add the wine and vegetable stock a little at a time over the space of 5 minutes and then simmer for a further 15 mins stirring occasionally so rice does not stick.

Add the beans about 5 minutes before the end. It is ready when most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice has a slight bite.

Freeze left over portions in individual bags.

Broccoli and Cannellini ‘Get well soon’ Soup

I’m an invalid. I’m rubbish at being a poorly person as I’m just no good at sitting still and doing nothing. But sometimes your body simply has other ideas.

I appear to have a trapped nerve behind my shoulder which has sent awful aches, pains and numbness all down my left arm. Try as I might to simply ‘carry on as usual’ it just isn’t happening and so for the last three days I’ve pretty much been stuck in bed and catching up with bits and pieces on my laptop as much as I feel able!

Yesterday evening I did manage to make it in to the kitchen to concoct some soup with the help of my trusty Thermomix. I made a big batch so that I could have the left overs today…good job really as I feel worse today (typing parts of this blog post one handed!) and so don’t think I could have managed anything much today. I struggled enough just to take these few photos- I wasn't going to give in!

My dinner companion yesterday proclaimed that this soup tastes like ‘chicken soup without the chicken’ and since chicken soup is supposed to be the heal-all wonder…well the ‘get well’ title seemed entirely appropriate…whether you  think it tastes like chicken soup is another matter.  I think I just tastes like 'simple goodness'- delicate, wholesome and nourishing, and with some added pasta or quinoa (I served it with quinoa yesterday) you have yourself a good meal, Invalid or not!

I had so many plans in the kitchen this weekend, not least because I have a little stall at an event next weekend (more on all that soon) that I needed to get preparations underway for. Fingers crossed I am back in the saddle very soon. In the meantime, with only my laptop for company, I have been organising my recipes into more easily searchable categories, hopefully I’ll get that up later once the next dose of painkillers kick in!

Recipe: broccoli and cannellini soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1tbs olive oil
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
• Few leaves fresh rosemary
• 400g (approx. two small heads) broccoli- chopped into fairly small pieces
• 100g (approx.½) courgette- grated (optional)
• 400g can butter beans/cannelli beans
• 800ml hot vegetable stock
• 100g quinoa or small cooked pasta shapes- optional
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the onions and chopped garlic for around 5 minutes until soft.

Add the herbs and broccoli and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add all remaining ingredients (other than quinoa/pasta if using) and simmer for a further 10 minutes or until broccoli is cooked.

The quinoa/pasta can be cooked separately and spooned over to serve, or added to the pan during cooking time as appropriate.

Creamy coconut rice pudding

Sometimes a little comfort food is in order.

Whilst for many of you the world is warming up and the sunny skies of summer are most definitely on the way, here in the UK the weather has been shocking! Just a few weeks ago it was officially announced we were in a drought having has such little rain during the first few months of the year….but oh my has April made up for that shortage! It has been grey and rainy non-stop and if I didn’t know better it feels as though we’ve skipped Summer and gone straight through to Autumn.

So, how can I remedy that situation?…by making yummy food of course. This is the perfect comfort food for spring, summer autumn or winter, subtly sweet and tropically coconutty, this little dish can be served either hot or cold for breakfast, dessert or as a snack any time of the day. Super versatile- just the way I like it!

I’ve never before made rice pudding from scratch and didn’t realise how easy it actually was. If you don’t have a Thermomix (which stirs it for you), you will need to keep a close eye on the hob and stir frequently, but otherwise it’s so easy. I’m surprised I haven’t tried it sooner.

I use Arborio (risotto) rice here as my first attempt to ensure a super creamy dish, buy you could use brown rice, I will give that a try next time.  The coconut milk teamed with the dates, maple syrup  and warming spices make for the perfect taste combination, you can add extra maple syrup or dates to taste if you wish for a sweeter treat.

I served this as dessert and it was very filling and satisfying, the ‘sink back on your chair with a smile once you’ve scraped the bowl clean’ type of satisfying!

Recipe: Creamy coconut rice pudding

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 200g Arborio rice
• 400g coconut milk
• 1 tbs ground chia seed
• 600g boiling water
• 50g maple syrup or agave
• Handful of dates
• 1 tbs vanilla powder or paste
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• Sprinkling of nutmeg to serve                         

Method

Chop the dates finely by hand or in a food processor.  Add all the ingredients to a large pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes stirring frequently. Once the rice has cooked, stir through the maple syrup and then allow the rice mixture to sit for a few minutes to thicken before serving.

Serve with fruit, coconut flakes or a simple sprinkling of grated nutmeg.

Can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days.

Pesto polenta bruschetta

I gave you a little teaser yesterday and now here it is…

Pesto polenta bruschetta.

The perfect light lunch option, it’s also a lovely twist on tradition since the polenta offers a tasty gluten free alternative to traditional crusty bread.

The recipe is pretty simple, but it’s more the concept that I was going for really. The idea of using polenta as a bruschetta base delicately flavoured with pesto and then topped with a pesto coated bruschetta medley. Perfectly delicate (dare I say it ‘summery’) flavours, you could mix and match with other ingredients to suit your tastes.

The polenta is simply made mixed with water according to the packet instructions. Just add a dollop of pesto to the mixture too. I used quick cook polenta and whipped it up in 3 minutes in my Thermomix, but it would also work in exactly the same way on the hob- just keep stirring until it thickens.

You don’t need to be too precise with the topping ingredients, below is just a guide so just throw in what feels right!

This really does seems like a summery dish, why is that?  What makes some foods comforting winter dishes, like my sweet potato coconut curry or chickpea and lentil soup, and some foods much more ‘spring’ like? Well I am going for the spring option today, we’ve had some glorious warm weather recently although I haven’t spent much time outside in it, and the daffodils are well and truly emerging now.

Spring is most definitely in the air…happy times!

Recipe: Pesto polenta bruschetta

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

• Quick cook polenta
• Water (amount varies depending on how much polenta used- see polenta packet instructions)
• 2-3 tbs pesto divided between polenta and the topping
• 1 onion- chopped finely
• 2 handfuls tomatoes- chopped
• Half a red pepper- chopped
• 2 handfuls spinach
• A few sprigs of fresh basil
• Vegan parmesan- optional

Method:

Cook the polenta according to the packet instructions and then pour/spoon immediately into a lined loaf tin (size based on the amount of polenta you’ve cooked up). Allow to cool and set in the fridge.

Once set, cut into 1cm thick slices before frying on a griddle for approx. 5 minutes. each side to achieve a slightly golden crisp coat (mine should have had a little longer ideally). You couod oven bale the polenta.

Note any extra polenta can be stored in the fridge for a few days prior to its second cooking.

Meanwhile, prepare the bruschetta topping by combining all the remaining ingredients and toss together with the remaining tablespoon of pesto. 

If serving the polenta hot, heat the topping through before spooning over.  Alternatively, both polenta and topping can be served cold.

Dust with a little vegan parmesan if desired.

Lentil dhal with aubergine

I thought I’d throw in another simple savoury recipe to interrupt the recent flow of sweet treats. Also since today is Pancake Day and I just know that I will indulge later on…I am hoping that posting a super healthy savoury recipe will go some way to in re-addressing the balance. That’s how it works, right?

So for a cheap and easy protein kick, we have…lentils.

Lentils are a little underused in my kitchen. Crazy really , since they are so versatile and so full of protein (a nice change from beans!). Similarly aubergine (eggplant) is also an unknown entity to me.

Both have been put to good use in this recipe. The simple principle of the dhal can easily be combined with other vegetables.

One of the things I like most about the dhal is that it creates a lovely moist ‘bed’ for the topping in a similar way to how rice, quinoa or cous-cous would otherwise be used. It is a lovely light meal on its own or can be combined with some carbs by way of potato or some bread on the side.

Aubergine works really well here and provides a really substantial almost meaty texture and not at all mushy (the mushiness in some recipes has put me off aubergine in the past). I added some tomatoes at the last minute which give an amazing sweetness. I served this dish with my flatbread which can be made gluten free.

This lentil exploration came about as a result of my other lentil experiments - namely this dip recipe. Now I want to explore further and try out all the variations… green, brown, puy, beluga, and not just stick with the regular red split lentils that are found most commonly here. I’m also curious to see whether lentils could be used in any sweet dishes….well, chickpeas and sweet potatoes do lend themselves to the cause so why not lentils?

Watch this space!

Recipe: Lentil dhal with aubergine

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 120g red lentils
• 1tsp turmeric
• 1 tbs curry paste
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion- sliced
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 cm ginger- grated
• 1 tsp garam masala/curry powder
• 1 medium aubergine- cut into 1cm rounds
• Large handful of cherry tomatoes- halved

Method

Cover the lentils

turmeric and curry paste with 500ml water, add a pinch of salt. Boil for 15 minutes until the lentils soften.

Meanwhile cook the onion, garlic and ginger in the oil for 5 minutes. Add the curry powder/garam masala along with the lentil mixture and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile griddle the aubergine in a little oil plus seasoning to taste if desired. Cook for approx. 3 minutes on each side until cooked through.

Add the tomatoes to the griddle during the last couple of minutes cooking time.

Serve aubergine and tomatoes on a bed of the lentil dhal, with a naan/flatbread side dish for a more substantial meal.