Spinach Daal with Spiced Eggplant

[highlyeccentric]

This is really a mash-up of two recipes, with the ultimate aim of providing Sufficient Nutrients in a single meal. The first is Jack Monroe's Spinach & lentil daal, from their second book; the second recipe is the Epicurious Indian spiced eggplant recipe. Both have been customised by me, for me.


This recipe is: vegetarian, relatively low-carb, tomato free, gluten free
This recipe could be: vegan, if you eliminate the yoghurt (it's not essential. Some cashew cream might be a good substitute=)
This recipe requires: at least an hour, a wee bit of chopping, and faffing around with two pots on a hot stove. You could theoretically do it in one pot, but you'd have to do the eggplant first and then remove it, which would just add more time.



Daal
1 onion, niced
1 tsp sembal oelek (or: diced fresh chili; or: powdered chili)
1 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground ginger
1 vegetable stock cube
100 grams red split lentils
at least 300g of water (amount will vary depending on how long you simmer it for)
4 cubes frozen spinach
100ml plain or greek yoghurt
1-2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice

- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan; add the onion and caramelise for 2-3 minutes.
- Add chili and spices, stir, and cook over low heat for another 2-3 minutes.
- Rinse lentils, add to onion mix. Stir through. Add stock cube. Add 100ml of water and stir until absorbed.
- Add frozen spinach cubes and further 200ml water. Break up the spinach as it defrosts.
- While preparing the eggplant, occasionally stir the daal and add a dash more water before it completely dries out/burns.
- Just before the eggplant is ready, add the citrus juice and the yoghurt. Stir together.

Spiced Eggplant

1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
200 ml water + extra
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 eggplant, in 1/2 inch cubes
2 tbsp vegetable or canola oil

- In a medium to large frying pan, heat the oil and add spices. Stir 1-2 minutes.
- Meanwhile mix liquids together.
- Add eggplant to pan, stir to mix with spices. Fry for 1-2 minutes over medium heat.
- Add vinegar mixture, lower heat, and simmer approx 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Continue until the liquid is absorbed and eggplant is cooked through/ slightly charred. If liquid absorbs BEFORE eggplant is cooked, add a dash more.
- Immediately after adding yoghurt and lime to the daal, stir the eggplant through the daal mix.


NOM.