Dhal poached eggs with herby raita
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 2 onions (320g), halved and thinly sliced
- 2 tsp each cumin seeds and ground turmeric
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 tbsp garam masala
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced
- 175g red lentils
- 400g can chickpeas
- 2 tsp vegetable bouillon powder, mixed with 700ml boiling water
- 320g baby spinach
- 8 large eggs
For the raita
- 150g natural bio yogurt
- 1 garlic clove
- thin slice of peeled ginger
- 20g coriander leaves, plus a few extra leaves to serve (optional)
- 10g mint leaves
Method
STEP 1
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onions for 5 mins until they start to colour. Stir in the spices, garlic and chilli, and cook for a few more seconds until aromatic.
STEP 2
Add the lentils, chickpeas and stock, then cook, uncovered, for 15 mins until the lentils are tender. Stir in the spinach until wilted.
STEP 3
Remove half the dhal from the pan and leave to cool. Will keep chilled for up to three days. Break 4 eggs, spaced apart, into the lentils that are left in the pan, cover and cook over a medium heat for 8-10 mins.
STEP 4
Meanwhile, put all the ingredients for the raita in a bowl and blitz together using a hand blender.
STEP 5
Serve the eggs and dhal with half the raita and scatter over a few extra coriander leaves, if you like. The remaining raita will keep chilled for up to three days. Reheat the remaining dhal in a pan over a medium heat until bubbling. Add a drop of water if it looks dry, then cook the eggs in the hot dhal as described in step 3 and serve with the remaining raita.
