Lentil and Sweet Potato Curry

Ah, curry. Delicious, declicious curry. Britain has had a love affair with this versatile dish for over two hundred years and there doesn't seem to be an end date for this affection with the jalfrezi variety recently overtaking the classic chicken tikka masala as the national favorite. However, much to my chagrin, I think it's fair to say that curry house versions are hardly the world's healthiest dishes with the average calorie bomb reaching astronomical heights. For example, a takeaway (or delivery) version of chicken tikka masala with rice and naan comes in at an amazing 1,300 calories on average. On. Average. Yikes.

So, I thought for a homecooked option, I'd like to try and accomplish two goals. The first was to keep those calories more in check while the second goal was to find a recipe that delivered the same amount of flavor and enjoyment of a takeaway curry in a shorter amount of time. With this vegetarian version, which has only about 300 calories in each portion when divided into four, I think we've cracked it. I've listed the prep time as five minutes but honestly, it definitely took less than that since all you have to do is chop the onion and then peel and chop the sweet potato. The only fiddly part of this recipe is the fact that you need to find cumin seeds and mustard seeds in addition to your curry powder - which was a bit of a mission since neither of the small grocery stores near my house had them. However, wandering to a larger Tesco proved wise and I found them easily so this might be something to keep in mind. The rest of the ingredients were super easy to source and, aside from the sweet potatoes, are primarily found in canned form and therefore might already be in your cupboard.

We served this curry with a bit of wholegrain rice and shared a simple Tesco naan bread between us but I think this would be equally delicious with some paneer thrown in to bulk it up a bit. I think this dish is best thought of as a more robust option to compete with chana masala. I've kept the recipe pretty much the same although I added the frozen peas to give it that nice burst of freshness. I really hope you'll give this a try since it takes less time than a delivery would and you'll have plenty to go around for weekly lunches or dinner the next day. Finally, the original recipe is supposedly for two portions but I didn't change any of the measurements and ended up with definitely enough for four people. If you were serving this alongside another curry or additional dishes, you could easily stretch this to at least six portions.

Original recipe via www.bbcgoodfood.com

Prep Time:   5 min

Cook Time: 25 min

Serves:       4-6

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp medium curry powder

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

100g red lentils 

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces

500 ml vegetable stock

1 can chopped tomatoes (400g)

1 can chickpeas (400g)

1 cup frozen peas

To Serve:

Yogurt

Mango chutney 

Fresh coriander

Rice/Naan bread 

Method:

In a large pot, heat the oil over a medium heat before adding the chopped onion. Leave to soften, stirring frequently. When the onion is translucent and soft, add the spices, lentils, sweet potato, chopped tomato and vegetable stock.

Bring to a boil then cover and leave to simmer for 20 minutes. 

When the sweet potato has softened, add the peas and chickpeas over a low heat. Cover again and leave for five minutes to allow to heat through.

Serve over rice or alongside naan bread with a yogurt, mango chutney and a sprinkle of fresh coriander.