Storecupboard Dinners - Tarka Dahl & Rosemary Flat Bread

I LOVE Tarka Dahl, 9 times out of 10 I order it in an Indian restaurant, I can never make it quite a nice as the restaurant version, but I think that that might be because I am careful on fat content, and let's be honest, fat and sugar are what gives gorgeous food their fabulous tastes.

So here is a lower fat, option.  Cheap and cheerful, warm and soothing and belly filling.

This is a bit stodgier than restaurant Dahl, but it makes a great dip for veggie sticks, pitta bread and stuff like that.

FOR THE DAHL....

What you need:

• Red Lentils
• Chopped Garlic (I used frozen)
• Cumin Powder
• Cumin Seeds
• Blob of butter
• Olive Oil
• Chilli Flakes

What you do:

• Boil the kettle.
• Give the lentils a good rinse in cold running water - I use half a bag (250g ish - I measure by eye) for two rather generous portions.

• Pop in a pan and cover with boiling water, about an inch or so above the lentils for now.

• As the water boils you will see some froth, skim it off, it will only be in the first few minutes.
• Simmer the lentils for about 20-30 mins, adding more water if they look as though they are getting dry.  You are aiming for a very thick porridge like texture.

MEANWHILE.........

• Put a splosh of olive oil in a frying pan, heat, then add the garlic and cumin seeds with a good shake of chilli flakes.

• Stir-fry until the seeds are toasted then remove from the heat and set to onside.

• When the lentils are at the right consistency add a good teaspooon of cumin powder and a blob of butter to the pan.  

• Take the toasted cumin seed and garlic mix from the frying pan and dump it in the lentils.
• Give it a good stir.

You can now pop this in an oven proof dish with tin foil on the top, and put in the bottom of the oven while your bread cooks.

FOR THE BREAD....

This is a heavily adapted recipe from years ago, I like using cups for measurements as they are quicker to get out of the cupboard than the weighing scales!  Invest in a set - you can usually pick them up from supermarkets these days.

You will need:

• 2 cups of wholemeal flour  
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Half a cup of water
• A generous shaking of dried Rosemary
• Rock Salt

What you do:

• Dump all of the ingredients in a bowl.

• Get your hand in there and give it a good stir about, until it forms into a lump.

• Turn out onto a floured board and knead it for at least 5 minutes.

• Roll it out thin, thin enough to fill a swiss roll tin.

• Lightly oil the tin and lay the bread on it.  Sprinkle with more dried Rosemary and a shaking of rock salt for an extra bite.

• Cook at Gas 5 for around 25 mins.
• When cooked rip into pieces and serve with the Tarka Dahl.

• Use the bread to scoop up the Dahl to eat.
• Nom nom.

Email me through your Storecupboard Dinner recipes and I will feature them in my blog, or if you prefer add a link to your own blog in the comment box.