Sweet potato dhal

Ingredients

Sweet potatoes

2 sweet potatoes, skins on, washed and roughly chopped into cubes

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

olive oil

Rice

1/4 cup basmati rice per serve

Dhal

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

a thumb-size piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

1 green chilli, finely chopped

1 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

200g red lentils

1 × 400ml tin of coconut milk

400ml vegetable stock

2 large handfuls of spinach

1 bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped, stalks and all

juice of 1 lemon

Coconut chutney (can swap with raita or relish)

50g unsweetened desiccated coconut

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

10 curry leaves

a little vegetable or coconut oil

a 20g piece of fresh ginger, grated

1 red chilli, finely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 220C fan forced.

Pour 150ml of boiling water over the coconut and leave to soak. Put your sweet potatoes on a roasting tray and add a good pinch of salt and pepper, the cumin and fennel seeds and a drizzle of olive oil. Roast in the oven for 20–25 minutes, until soft and sweet in the middle and crispy brown on the outside.

In a large saucepan, sizzle the garlic, ginger, chilli and red onion in a little oil for about 10 minutes, until soft and sweet. Grind the cumin and coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar, then add to the pan with the other spices and cook for a couple of minutes to toast and release the oils. Add the lentils, coconut milk and stock to the pan and bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down and bubble away for 25–30 minutes.

While that is cooking make your chutney. Drain the coconut and put it into a bowl. Fry the mustard seeds and curry leaves in a little oil until they begin to crackle, then pour the mixture over the coconut. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the ginger and chilli and give it a good mix.

To finish your dhal, take it off the heat, then stir in the spinach and allow it to wilt a little, stirring in half the chopped coriander and the lemon juice too. Pile into bowls and top with the crispy sweet potatoes, spoonfuls of the coconut chutney and the remaining coriander.