Saag Daal
This is a great recipe to make in advance or in a slow cooker if you have one. Saag daal is a traditional Indian vegetable dish, rich with aromatic flavours. In traditional medicine, fennel seeds have been used as a remedy for indigestion and deliver an anise-like flavour. Turmeric and ginger root are potent anti-inflammatories.
- Put the daal in a heavy-based saucepan, pour in 750ml water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat then simmer for about one hour, or until the lentils are really soft.
- Heat the oil in a large pan.
- Add the mustard seeds, turmeric, cumin, or fennel seeds, ginger, chillies and curry leaves and fry for 2-3 minutes.
- When the daal is cooked add to the pan and stir in the spinach and spring onions.
- Heat for a further two minutes, season, then serve.
- 225g moong daal (yellow split lentils)
- 750ml water or stock
- 2-3 tbsp. sunflower or vegetable oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 green chillies, de-seeded and chopped
- 8 curry leaves
- 100g spinach
- 2 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
