Rhubarb & Lentil Curry
This lovely seasonal curry has a tangy, tamarind-like taste – rhubarb is actually a vegetable not a fruit, as I discovered – and the dish always gets a big thumbs up. It’s nice on its own or else try serving with Chickpea & Sweet Potato Curry, as the slightly sweet flavours of this contrast very nicely with the rhubarb in the other dish. And if you’re lucky enough to have a glut of rhubarb, this makes a great change from rhubarb crumble or rhubarb and ginger compote!
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Total time
50-60 minutes
Cuisine
Indian and Indian Subcontinent
Meal
- mains
- lunches
- sides-light-meals-and-salads
- vegetable-side-dishes
Servings
4-6
Ingredients
Stage 1: Vegetables
- 350g/12oz rhubarb, washed and cut into 2cm/1 inch chunks
- 3 onions, chopped or sliced fine
- 1 stick celery, chopped
- 2 medium-large peppers, chopped into chunks – red, yellow or orange
- 1 tbsp plain vegetable oil for cooking
Stage 2: Spice mixture
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped or crushed
- 50g ginger, peeled and chopped roughly or grated (about two big thumb-sized pieces
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- Pinch chilli flakes or ¼ tsp chilli powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
Stage 3: Lentils and stock
- 150g/5oz puy or whole brown lentils
- 700ml vegan stock
Stage 4: Final flavourings
- 250g/9oz cooked white potato, diced in medium chunks
- 2 tbsp of dark brown sugar
- Salt and black pepper
To serve
- Brown long grain or brown basmati rice to cook OR ready-cooked pouches
- Plain vegan yoghurt – a thick coconut-based vegan yoghurt would be particularly nice
- Chopped fresh coriander or parsley
ALL KITTED OUT
Chopping board and knife; measuring spoons; electric or hand spice grinder or similar (a pestle and mortar does the trick but takes longer); Large saucepan for curry; medium-large for the rice if cooking from scratch – or a microwave dish if reheating precooked rice; sieve to wash lentils (and rice from scratch if necessary); wooden or silicone spoon; vegetable peeler plus medium-small pan or steamer for potatoes if cooking from scratch.
Instructions
- Place a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the oil. When it is hot, add the chopped onion and cook on a low heat until the onions have started to caramelise. Now add the celery and peppers. Sauté (lightly fry) everything for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add a splash of water if it starts to stick.
- Meanwhile, use an electric or hand-operated spice grinder to make the spice mixture. Blitz until it forms a paste. Add it to the pan and stir in.
- Add the rhubarb, lentils and stock to the pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Put brown rice on now if cooking from scratch.
- If you don’t have pre-cooked potatoes, boil or steam them now.
- Taste to see if the lentils are tender and if not, continue cooking them for another 10-15 minutes.
- When the lentils are tender, add the cooked potatoes and stir in. Add the sugar and taste. Add more salt if necessary plus some black pepper. If using pre-cooked rice, heat it up now.
- Dish out the hot rice, sprinkle the herbs on the curry and serve everthing with the yoghurt on the side.
Optional extras / notes
Serves fewer as a main dish, more with other side dishes
Keywords
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