Try making a homemade cauliflower and lentil curry for a really light meat-free option for dinner. Serve it up as part of an Indian-style buffet, with steamed rice and naan bread, or as part of a dinner party for when guests come round. This is one of our favourite vegan recipes - it takes an hour to make, and it's well worth the time that you put in. This allows all the flavours to come together properly and for the lentils and cauliflower to really soften.
A homemade vegan curry is much more healthy than a takeaway version - at only 390 calories per portion, you can enjoy this meal for dinner virtually guilt-free! Takeaway curry can be really fatty, oily and full of secret added salt and sugar. This recipe is full of pulses and healthy veg, plus you can very easily make it with your own homemade curry paste.
How to make Cauliflower And Lentil Curry:
Ingredients
- 2tsp sunflower oil
- 400g can coconut milk
- 2 medium cauliflowers, trimmed and cut into florets
- 250g cooked Puy lentils
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2tbsp freshly chopped coriander
For the paste:
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 5cm piece root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 green chilli
- 2 onions, peeled and very roughly chopped
- 1tbsp turmeric
- 1tbsp cumin
- 1tsp sea salt
Method
First make the paste. Put all the ingredients into a blender and whizz to a paste.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan then gently fry the paste for a few minutes to cook out the spices. Add the coconut milk, stir well, bring to the boil and simmer.
Meanwhile, steam or blanch the cauliflower florets until just tender, then add to the curry sauce. Simmer until just cooked and fully heated through, then add the Puy lentils, lemon juice and coriander, and serve.
Top Tip for making Cauliflower And Lentil Curry
This is great with a tomato and onion salad, and poppadoms, naan breads or wholegrain rice
Jane Curran is a freelance food editor, stylist, writer and consultant based in Cape Town. Former food director of TI Media & woman&home. All about food, wine (dipWSET), gardening and the Arsenal.
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