Malaysian-Style Cheesy Roti Canai With Dal

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

Peel and finely chop your brown onion[s]

Bash your lemongrass with a rolling pin, then chop in half

Rinse your red lentils in a sieve under cold running water

Drain and rinse your chickpeas

Heat a large pot (with a matching lid) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the chopped onion with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 min or until beginning to soften

Chop your creamed coconut roughly (if required!)

Dissolve your vegetable stock mix and chopped creamed coconut in 450ml [675ml] [900ml] boiled water – this is your coconut stock

Once the onion has softened, add your ginger & garlic paste, curry powder, halved lemongrass, rinsed lentils and drained chickpeas to the pot and cook for 1 min or until fragrant

Once fragrant, add the coconut stock and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, for 15-20 min, stirring occasionally, until all the water is absorbed and the lentils are tender – this is your lentil & chickpea dal

Meanwhile, reboil a little water in a kettle

Slice your cucumber into discs

Cut your red chilli[es] in half lengthways, deseed (scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon) and chop finely

Add the sliced cucumber and half the chopped chilli (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) to a bowl with your rice vinegar, a pinch of salt, 1 tsp [1 1/2 tsp] [2 tsp] sugar and 2 tbsp [3 tbsp] [4 tbsp] boiled water

Give everything a good mix up and and set aside to pickle – this is your quick-pickled chilli cucumber

Grate your cheddar cheese

Chop your coriander finely, including the stalks

Add 1 roti per person to a baking tray (or two!) and top with the grated cheese, remaining chopped chilli (not a fan of spice? Just add a little!) and half the chopped coriander (you'll use the rest later!)

Place the remaining roti on top so you end up with roti sandwich

Put the tray[s] in the oven for 6-8 min or until the cheese is melted – this is your Malaysian-style cheesy roti canai