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I love spicy food. It doesn’t have to be a wintry dish. Think of the soaring temperatures where most spicy foods have their origins. This is my summer recipe for sambar which is commonly eaten in South India and Sri Lanka.
This recipe makes good use of seasonal runner beans which seem to abound this year. Enjoy this lentil based, low fat, highly nutritious meal with Indian pancakes or chapatis. Or, if you need en-route fuel just pack it into a food flask. This will keep you going for many more miles with a spicy spring in your step (and a little jet propulsion?).
This recipe makes enough sambar to feed 6 hungry adults as a main or 8 to 10 as a side dish. It freezes beautifully so it is worth making the full recipe batch. Omit the fresh chilli if you prefer a mild, cheeky flavour. With the fresh chilli, this is punchy.
Ingredients
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
3 large cloves of garlic
3 cm of fresh ginger root, finely grated OR 2 tsp of “chopped ginger in oil”
1 red chilli, finely diced (optional)
180 g red split lentils
2 tbsp Patak’s mild curry paste
1 L vegetable stock
200 g runner beans, trimmed and cut lengthways into shreds
1 400 g tin of chick peas in water, drained and rinsed
2 small courgettes, sliced into half moons
2 tsp garam masala
Fresh coriander to serve
Method
1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy based pan. Add the diced carrot and onion and gently fry for 10 minutes until the onion is softened but not browned.
2. Add the mustard seeds, garlic and fresh chilli (if using) and fry for a further 2 minutes.
3. Add the ginger, lentils and Patak’s curry paste and stir.
4. Pour in the stock and turn up the heat to bring the pan to simmering point.
5. Add the shredded runner beans.
6. Cover the pan and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
7. Add the chick peas, courgettes and garam masala and simmer for a further 2 minutes.
8. Sprinkle over the chopped, fresh coriander just before serving.
ScrummyWalks 