Lentil Dal With Cumin Spiced Lamb

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7 and boil a kettle

Peel and finely dice your brown onion[s]

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a generous drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the diced onion with a pinch of salt

Cook for 5 min or until starting to soften

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Peel (scrape the skin off with a teaspoon) and finely chop (or grate) your ginger

Once the onion is starting to soften, add the chopped ginger and half the chopped garlic (you'll use the rest later!) to the pan with half your ground cumin (save the rest for later!) and your curry powder and cook for a further 2-3 min until fragrant

Rinse your red lentils in a sieve under cold water

Dissolve your stock mix in 650ml [850ml] [1.1L] boiled water

Once fragrant, add the rinsed lentils and vegetable stock with a pinch of salt to the pan and cook for 15-20 min, stirring occasionally, until all the water is absorbed and the lentils are tender and porridge-like in consistency

While the lentils are cooking, add your basmati rice to an oven-proof dish with 250ml [400ml] [500ml] boiled water and a pinch of salt

Cover tightly with tin foil and put the dish in the oven for 25-30 min or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked

Meanwhile, chop your parsley finely, including the stalks

When the lentils have 10 min left, heat another large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a high heat

Once hot, add your lamb mince and a generous pinch of salt, then cook for 6-7 min or until well browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you go

Once browned, add the remaining garlic and remaining ground cumin and cook for 1 min or until fragrant and cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your cumin spiced lamb

Once the lentils are cooked, remove the pan from the heat and stir in 2/3 of your natural yoghurt (you'll use the rest later!), 2/3 of the chopped parsley (save the rest for garnish!) and a grind of pepper – this is your lentil dal