Rose Harissa Dal

Exam results are supposed to come out today but no one seems to know when so I thought I'd distract myself with a new post. Other than that, my week has gone well. I've finally put pen to paper on my dissertation (a comparison of French and English food magazines) and am looking forward to seeing where it goes. I went to an amazing pizza place in Manchester last week, Rudy's, which I cannot recommend enough. I'm beginning to visit the last places on my "to review for the top 10 piece" list that I've been working on since 2013! I plan on uploading it before I graduate (which is scarily soon; I only have 15 weeks until my time in Manchester is over) and then I can start one for London in my new Moleskine travel guide.

I’ve been making this dal a lot recently as it’s quick and tasty (and importantly, cheap). It tastes great on its own but if you want to jazz it up then either top it with diced roast sweet potatoes, serve with rice or naan (the best tip is to buy a naan from your local takeaway and add it to your own meal). Alternatively, you could make chapatis like I did, but that's a recipe for another time. Don’t like spice? Just use less harissa (though some is needed for flavour). You can buy it easily from the international aisle of many supermarkets. If you can source it, I particularly recommend Belazu rose harissa (I buy mine in big Waitrose or Sainsbury's).

Harissa Dal Recipe

Serves 2-3 depending on how hungry you are and what sides you have

Takes 25 minutes to make

Ingredients

1tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

3tsp turmeric powder

1-3 tsp harissa paste

250g red lentils

400ml coconut milk

400ml water

2 limes, juiced

Method

Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onions until soft.

Add the harissa and turmeric and cook for one minute.

Pour in the lentils, coconut milk and water, stir everything together.

Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are soft but retain their shape and no longer taste bitter.

Ladle into bowls and drizzle a generous amount of lime juice over it.

Hey presto, it’s done, just serve with your chosen accompaniments.

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This fragrant yet healthy butter chicken

A spicy okra curry

A spinach and lentil curry