April 25 2025
We’re dialling up the spice in this lentil dahl, bursting with flavour and vibrant veggies in every bite. Top with sunny Respectful eggs to add creaminess for balance and dip in for a flavourful lunch or mid-week dinner. Leftovers? Gently warm the lentils and add a freshly poached or fried egg.
Serves 2 – 3
Ingredients
- 2 tbls olive oil
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- A pinch of chilli flakes, plus extra to serve
- 2 tsp of ground cumin
- 2 tbls of curry powder
- 175g red lentils, rinsed
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- A small bunch of chard or spinach leaves, stripped from the stalk and roughly chopped (if you’re using the chard, keep the stems and chop into 1cm pieces)
- A knob of butter
- 4 Respectful eggs
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- A small bunch of coriander, chopped
Method
1. Heat a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium high heat. Add the oil and, when it’s hot, add the onion, garlic, cumin, curry powder and chilli flakes, as well as a little salt and pepper. Cook gently for 8–10 minutes – don’t let it all sizzle too quickly or the mixture will catch on the bottom.
2. Stir in the lentils and veg stock. Cook the lentils over a low heat. They just want to simmer gently. When the lentils have been cooking for about 20 minutes, add the chard or spinach. You might need to place a lid on the pan to help the kale wilt down before you can stir it in.
3. When the chard is tender and the lentils are beginning to break down and thicken (another 15–20 minutes or so), give them a taste – they’ll probably need plenty of salt and pepper. The lentils need to be thick enough that you can make four wells in them using the back of a spoon.
4. Make the wells and drop a dot of butter into each, then crack in an egg. Season the top of the eggs and pop a lid on the pan. Cook for 6–7 minutes, or until the whites are set and the yolks are still soft. Scatter over the chopped coriander and a few extra chilli flakes and serve at once.
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