Lentil and Roast Tomato Stew
Method
- Half about 8 tomatoes and toss them in a baking tray with a big glug of olive oil, salt, pepper and a couple of teaspoons of harissa, then roast them at 180C/Gas4, cut side up, for about 45 mins until shrunken and sweet.
- In a small pan toast 1tsp coriander seeds and 2tsp cumin seeds for a few minutes, then grind them up in a pestle and mortar. In a frying pan, heat a splash of olive oil and then gently fry a chopped onion until soft and golden. Then add 4 cloves grated garlic, the cumin and coriander, ½ tsp tumeric, a pinch of saffron, 2cm grated fresh ginger, the finely diced stalks of a small bunch of coriander and one chopped red chilli. Continue to cook gently for another 5 mins.
- Add 250g red lentils and stir to coat then in the spices and oil, add in the roast tomatoes with all the oil and harissa scrapings from the baking tray, save a few tomatoes back for the top of each dish and about 700ml of water. Add salt and pepper to taste, then leave to simmer for 15 mins. Top up with water if needs be, but you want it to be quite a thick, dhal/stew consistency. Serve with a dollop of yoghurt, chopped coriander and the reserved tomatoes.
