Ok so it might be spring here but i’m not quite ready to let go of my winter dhals and curries. With this in mind, I’ve decided to tweak my usual Dhal recipe slightly and add a vibrant beetroot mash alongside it instead of serving with rice or roti bread.
Beetroot is so good for us and it’s also very versatile. From sweets like beetroot dark chocolate brownies (more on those coming soon) to layers of beets in loaded salad sandwiches it’s a bit of a wizard ingredient. But have you ever used beetroot to add a pop of colour to your creations? It’s magic!
Adding beetroot to your mash really is a fantastic way to add interest to your meal, while upping your intake of daily veggies and perfect for sneaking into the tums of little people.
For today’s recipe I’ve decided to use green lentils. Green lentils take a little longer to cook than their red cousins and tend to hold shape a little better. My husband tells me they have a more ‘meat’ like texture and I would have to agree. Slightly peppery in fact. This makes them great in all kinds of dishes be it curries, salads and the perfect ingredient for pie filling….But back to using them in this curry dhal. If you’re short on time you could use the brown/green tinned variety but I would not recommend using another type of lentils as because we are serving this dhal with mashed potatoes you do want the lentils to hold their form.
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Add all Dhal ingredients (except for the baby spinach leaves) into a large pot and set the stove to a medium heat and cover the pot with a lid. Once the Dhal begins to bubble, reduce the heat down to low. Remove the lid and allow the Dhal to continue to cook until the liquid has evaporated and you're left with a lovely and thick Dhal (approx. 40 mins). Stir occasionally to avoid the Dhal burning on the bottom. If your Dhal is getting stuck to the bottom - you can add a dash more liquid but you probably need to reduce the heat down.
While the Dahl simmers away, Add your peeled potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and then allow to boil until the potatoes are almost falling apart. Strain off the liquid and mash potatoes the best you can without milk, then slowly add milk and continue to mash until you have reached your desired consistency. Next you can either pre blend the beetroot in a food processor and stir through OR add the slices of beetroot to the potatoes and use a stick mixer to blitz the beetroot through. If you decide to do this method, make sure you do short sharp blitzes rather than keep the stick blender on otherwise you can run the risk of turning your potatoes to glue. I do use this method and it works fine, but short, sharp blitzes are a must.
Once the lentils are cooked through (approx. 1 hour if using green lentils or 30 mins if using yellow or red) Turn the stove off and add the baby spinach leaves and stir through. The heat will wilt the baby spinach leaves. Allow the Dhal to sit for at least 10 minutes, Whilst the Dhal rests, cook your rice. Taste your Dhal and add more salt & pepper if desired.
Serve with a blob coconut yoghurt on top along with your other toppings.
Ingredients
Directions
Add all Dhal ingredients (except for the baby spinach leaves) into a large pot and set the stove to a medium heat and cover the pot with a lid. Once the Dhal begins to bubble, reduce the heat down to low. Remove the lid and allow the Dhal to continue to cook until the liquid has evaporated and you're left with a lovely and thick Dhal (approx. 40 mins). Stir occasionally to avoid the Dhal burning on the bottom. If your Dhal is getting stuck to the bottom - you can add a dash more liquid but you probably need to reduce the heat down.
While the Dahl simmers away, Add your peeled potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and then allow to boil until the potatoes are almost falling apart. Strain off the liquid and mash potatoes the best you can without milk, then slowly add milk and continue to mash until you have reached your desired consistency. Next you can either pre blend the beetroot in a food processor and stir through OR add the slices of beetroot to the potatoes and use a stick mixer to blitz the beetroot through. If you decide to do this method, make sure you do short sharp blitzes rather than keep the stick blender on otherwise you can run the risk of turning your potatoes to glue. I do use this method and it works fine, but short, sharp blitzes are a must.
Once the lentils are cooked through (approx. 1 hour if using green lentils or 30 mins if using yellow or red) Turn the stove off and add the baby spinach leaves and stir through. The heat will wilt the baby spinach leaves. Allow the Dhal to sit for at least 10 minutes, Whilst the Dhal rests, cook your rice. Taste your Dhal and add more salt & pepper if desired.
Serve with a blob coconut yoghurt on top along with your other toppings.
