Serves: 4-6

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour

You’ll need:

For the dhal:

500g vine tomatoes, quartered

1tsp sugar

Salt & Pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp ground coriander

200g red lentils, rinsed

½ tsp salt

For the shallot tadka:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds and ½ tsp chilli flakes pounded together in a pestle and mortar

2 echallion shallots, sliced

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 190 C

Spread the quartered tomatoes on a baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper.  Drizzle with 1tbsp olive oil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.  Let the tomatoes cool a little and then tip them into a deep bowl and roughly blend with a stick blender.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and spices and stir well for a couple of minutes then add the tomato mixture. Bring to a simmer, then cook, for 10 minutes before adding the lentils and salt. Pour in 800ml water, then bring the mixture back to a simmer for 20 minutes or so.  The lentils should be cooked and the dhal thickened by now. It will thicken further if you leave it to stand for a few minutes. Adjust the seasoning 

Meanwhile, to make the tadka, heat the oil in a frying pan, add the spices and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring now and then, until the mixture smells toasty. Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes or until they are soft and lightly browned. Season with a little salt.

Pour the dhal into a serving dish, top with the onion tadka and serve. 

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