Sweet potato, lentil & chickpea curry with raita

Here’s my take on a traditional Indian dish called chana masala. I realise I’m being totally inauthentic adding sweet potato and lentils, as this should be made only with chickpeas, but I wanted a slightly different texture and taste this time.

The curry works really well with a side of raita as you have a nice fresh crunch from the cucumber and cooling creaminess from the yoghurt to counteract the spicy heat.

I served ours up with a combination of brown basmati, raita and chapatis (recipe here).

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

• 1 large onions, half moon slices

• 2 large garlic cloves, grated

• 1 tsp garam masala

• ½ tsp ground cumin

• ½ tsp dried red chilli flakes

• ¼ tsp turmeric

• 2 x 400g tins tomatoes

• 1 tbsp tomato purée

• 2 x 400g tins chickpeas

• 1 sweet potato, cubed

• 150g red lentils, rinsed well

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 20-30g fresh coriander, optional

  Raita

• 250ml Greek or plain yoghurt

• 2 spring onions, sliced finely

• 15cm cucumber, small cubes

• Juice of ½ - 1 lime

• ½ tsp sea salt

• ¼ tsp ground cumin

Method

• Heat 1 tbsp rapeseed oil in a large pan and then add the onions, frying on low for 10 minutes.

• Next add the garlic for 1 minute and then the spices, warming through for 30 seconds.

• Pour in the tomatoes, plus 1 ½ tins of water, tomato purée, chickpeas, sweet potato and lentils.

• Simmer for 25 minutes.

• Mix all the raita ingredients together.

• Add the salt and a handful of coriander and stir well.

• Serve with basmati rice and or chapatis and extra coriander leaves.

Tip

• If you’re making chapatis then get the dough ready before you start on the curry. That way the dough can rest and then you’ll be ready to roll them out and cook while the curry bubbles away.

• I’ve listed the coriander as optional as I know a lot of people don’t like it. Personally I think the curry tastes more interesting with it in, but it will still be tasty if left out.

Chapati

This recipe makes simple chapatis to go with almost every curry. I can’t think of anything they wouldn’t work with, apart from may be potato-heavy dishes = carb overload! I’d always say make the dough before you start cooking the curry, so it can rest which you chop and prep, then you can roll out while the pan simmers away for half an hour.

Ingredients

Makes 8 x 15cm chapatis

• 120g wholemeal flour

• 120g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing

• 120ml hot water

• 1 tsp sea salt

Method

• Weigh the flours into a large bowl, add the salt and then gradually add the water and oil, stirring well to combine.

• Once most of the water is mixed in, use your hands to kneed the dough for 5-10 minutes until smooth. I make mine in a mixer with the dough attachment, reducing the kneading to 5 minutes.

• Next divide the dough into 8 and roll into balls on a floured surface and leave them to rest for 5 minutes. Make sure they’re well floured or the outside will dry out.

• Use a rolling pin to flatten the balls into thin discs.

• Put a frying pan on a medium to high heat and then start cooking the first chapati.

• Cook for about 30 seconds and when it until it starts to brown and bubble up, turn and repeat. Just make sure there are no uncooked darker patches before you wrap in tin foil wrap or a clean tea towel.

tip

• If you don’t eat all the chapatis, you can turn them into tortilla crisps the next day - follow the same instructions as for my homemade tortillas here.