I've recently done the Zoe nutrition study to find out more about my blood sugar control and overall gut health. I do a lot of home cooking, eat a variety of nutritious foods and vegetables but wanted to see if I could do things better. My results were really good which I was super happy with. It generates all the lists of foods and ranks everything out of 100. The higher the score, the more beneficial for your glucose control, blood fat metabolism and gut health. The idea being that you can still enjoy "lower" Scoring foods but tie it in with a good selection of high scoring foods and aim for 30 different plant based ingredients each week. My results showed that beans, grains, pulses and choosing fish and chicken over red meat would be great places to make positive changes.
This lentil curry showcases all of those things. Lentils (also a great source of protein) and spices in the base dhal and topped with a mix of roasted vegetables, chicken, toasted almonds and coriander. The dhal is an excellent meal prep option as it keeps really well in the fridge for 3-4 days and you can just add your fresh toppings with each serving to keep everything fresh. I tried this with just the veggies, with salmon and with chicken and I think all 3 options are a winner! Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Red Lentil Curry
Serves 6 generously
Ingredients
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced or grated
4 tbsp curry paste of choice
2 tsp Cumin
2 tsp salt or sea salt to taste Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
400g red lentils, or split red lentils (the split variety will cook a bit quicker)
1L vegetable stock
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
1 can full-fat coconut milk
To serve:
1/2 cup (~8g) fresh coriander roughly chopped
Toasted, sliced almonds
Drizzle of fresh yoghurt
Optional extra:
Roasted vegetables (I used diced courgette and aubergine)
Optional: Grilled chicken or fish (I used salmon)
You’ll need a big pan for this quantity!
Rinse the lentils under running water until clear
In a large pan, heat the oil and sauté the onions, garlic, ginger, curry paste and cumin.
Add the lentils, tomatoes and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 mins, stirring occasionally.
Prep and cook your extra toppings. I always use extra roasted veggies (oil, salt, pepper and a bit of extra spice if you want a bit more flavour!) plus chicken or fish if that's what you fancy.
Add the coconut milk to the dhal and simmer for another 10-15 mins until the sauce is reduced and thickened.
Serve the dhal in bowls, topped with your extra veggies and protein, then drizzle with fresh yoghurt, chopped coriander and sliced almonds.