Ian's Delightful Daal and Roti
This is basically a hug in a bowl with all the delicious flavours and spices that come from a traditional curry house! If you're wondering which vegan curry to make for dinner, this is an excellent choice! If you're looking for an idea to cook for a plant-based dinner party, we know this gorgeous veggie daal is sure to be a show stopper on the table. Make sure you make loads of roti’s as they are super addictive and a great replacement for a spoon! We know what we're cooking for dinner!!
Serves
Ingredients
For the daal
<item-todo-done>1 tsp chilli flakes<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp turmeric<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>4 tsp garam masala<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp caster sugar<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp ground coriander<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp ground fenugreek<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 large onion<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>30g fresh coriander<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 ½cm piece of fresh ginger<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>3 garlic cloves<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 ½ tbsp olive oil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp salt<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tbsp ground cumin<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>200g red lentils<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 x 400g can(s) of chopped tomatoes<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>500ml vegetable stock<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 x 400g can of full fat coconut milk<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>75ml boiling water - optional<item-todo-done>
For the roti
<item-todo-done>1 tbsp vegetable oil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>200g self raising flour - plus extra for dusting<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp salt<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>100ml water<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tbsp vegetable oil for frying<item-todo-done>
Before you start
Brush some cling film with oil | Fine grater or Microplane | Large saucepan | Frying pan | Rolling pin or clean, dry wine bottle
Start by making the roti
- Pour the flour, salt and oil into a large mixing bowl
- Make a small well in the centre and pour in the water
- Use your hands to mix the ingredients together and knead until it comes together in a smooth ball of dough
- Cover the bowl with the oiled cling film and set it aside to rest for 20 minutes
Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the onion
- Rip the leaves from the coriander
- Finely chop the stems and roughly chop the leaves
- Peel and finely grate the garlic
- Peel the ginger by scraping off the skin with a spoon and grate finely
- Pour the olive oil into the saucepan and warm it over a medium heat
- Add the chopped onion and salt and stir for 5–7 minutes, until softened
- Add the garlic, ginger, chilli flakes and coriander stems to the pan and stir for 2–3 minutes
- Add the cumin, turmeric, garam masala, caster sugar, ground coriander and fenugreek and stir together for 30 seconds
Next, make the daal
- Rinse the lentils and tip them into the pan
- Stir for 1 minute
- Pour in the chopped tomatoes, fold them into the lentils and bring the thick sauce to a gentle simmer
- Pour in the vegetable stock and coconut milk and stir all the ingredients together until well mixed
- Bring back to a very gentle simmer, put the lid on the pan and leave it to bubble away for 35–40 minutes until thickened, stirring every now and then to make sure the daal doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan
While the daal is cooking, return to the roti
- Take the dough out of the bowl and divide it into 8 equal pieces
- Place the pieces of dough on a chopping board and cover with the oiled cling film
- Dust a clean surface with flour, take a piece of dough and roll it out into a neat, flat circle, as thin as you can get it
- Repeat with the remaining pieces
- Put the frying pan over a high heat until very hot
- Pour 1 teaspoon oil into the pan and swish it around to coat the base
- Place a roti in the pan and cook until it starts to bubble, then flip it over and fry the other side for another minute
- Transfer to a plate and repeat to cook all the roti
Finish cooking the daal and serve
- Once your daal is cooked, take the lid off the pan, taste it and season as necessary
- If the lentils have too much bite, stir in 75ml boiling water, put the lid back on and simmer for a further 3–5 minutes
- Stir in the roughly chopped coriander leaves and serve immediately with the roti