Yellow Lentil Bowl Recipe With Tamarind Chickpeas & Tamari Almonds From Mira Manek

A recipe from one of Mira Manek’s recent supper clubs, this recipe is filling without being too heavy, it’s warming and comforting, it’s mellow yet flavourful, not spicy (although you could of course add some green chillies) and there’s something incredibly calming about it. You can make it in different stages to save on time. Make the yellow lentils a day in advance and then rest when you’re ready to eat it. Simply warm up the lentils and assemble it all together. The tanginess of the imli chutney gives the dish a real umph and the crunchy of almonds adds a great contrasting texture.

 

Total Time: 1 h 30 m I Prep: 30 m I Cook: 1 h I Difficulty: Moderate

 

For the lentils

• 120g yellow lentils, washed
• 800ml hot water (or could heat cold water)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 80ml coconut milk

Let the yellow lentils boil in water for 30 minutes, adding salt and turmeric, until soft and cooked. Add the coconut milk at the end when the lentils are cooked and the water seems to be soaked up. While this is cooking, make the chickpeas and sauce.

For the chickpeas

• ½ tin chickpeas
• ¼ teaspoon coconut or any oil
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 4 tablespoons imli (tamarind and date) chutney*
• pinch of turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, optional

Let the oil heat up in a pan on low to medium heat, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds, placing them in the oil. When you hear the mustard seeds start to pop, add the chickpeas, turmeric, salt, imli chutney and sesame seeds if using. Stir this together and let it cook for around 10 minutes on low to medium heat, stirring it occasionally. *See the recipe for this on page 148 of Mira’s book Saffron Soul, but you can also buy this chutney ready at supermarkets.

For the green chutney

• 30g, handful coriander leaves, whole or chopped
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons water
• juice of ½ lemon or lime
• 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds, ideally soaked for an hour or longer
• 1 tablespoon yoghurt, optional
• 1 teaspoon tahini
• 1 green chilli, optional

Blend everything together in a high speed blender and pop it into a bowl for serving.

For the almonds

• ½ teaspoon coconut oil
• 4-5 tablespoons almonds
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
• sprinkle of paprika
• 1 teaspoon agave or maple syrup

In a small pan, melt the coconut oil, add the almonds and the rest of the ingredients and stir together on a low to medium heat for around 10 minutes. Let them cool. To assemble the bowls together, just pour out the lentil soup, place a couple of tablespoons of chickpeas on one side, add a few almonds and a spoon of the green chutney. Garnish with coriander leaves if you like!