JULIE MONTAGU'S SPICY BUTTER BEAN DAL
We asked friends of East by West, over on My-urveda, to share a favourite Ayurveda-inspired recipe with us:
Butter bean dal is one of yoga teacher, nutrition expert and best-selling author Julie Montagu's go-to recipes for when she wants something hot and tasty, as it is easy and versatile. Really anything goes: if you can't get your hands on butter beans, you can swap them out for chickpeas, white beans or kidney beans. — and you can use mung dal instead of the red split lentils to make this recipe your own. Then it's just a case of chopping up some veg and popping it into a pot — easy-peasy!
SPICY butter bean dal
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
500ml (2 cups) vegetable stock
100g (1⁄2 cup + 1 tablespoon) uncooked split red lentils
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 x 400g tin (11⁄3 cups) butter (lima) beans*, drained and rinsed
2 large handfuls of fresh spinach
wholemeal (whole-wheat) naan breads, to serve
METHOD
Place all the ingredients except the butter beans and spinach in a saucepan over a medium-high heat and bring to the boil. Add the butter beans, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the spinach and simmer for an additional 5 minutes, until the lentils are soft.
Serve with some yummy wholemeal naan breads and enjoy this super pot of healthy wholesomeness!
This recipe is taken from Julie Montagu's cookbook Superfoods Superfast: 100 energizing recipes to make in 20 minutes or less.
East by West Tip - fresh, home-cooked beans* are easier on the digestion although they do take a while to cook (and must be soaked first). For a gluten-free bread alternative try the roti recipes on page 63 of East by West.