One-pot lentils with naan lid

“Entertaining friends and family doesn’t have to be a complicated affair - a simple one-pot comfort dish can be just as impressive. The cauliflower sambal and boiled eggs add a nice finishing touch to this vegetarian winter warmer.” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

• serves

  4

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  35 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Naan

• 125 g strong white bread flour, plus 1 tbsp for dusting
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• ½ tsp fine salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp poppy seeds
• 70 ml milk
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing

Dhal

• 60 ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp salt
• 250 g (1¼ cups) split red lentils
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 litre vegetable or chicken stock

Sambal

• 150 g cauliflower (about ¼ small cauliflower), thinly sliced
• 50 ml lime juice
• ¼ Lebanese cucumber
• 2 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
• 1 long red chilli, halved, seeded and finely chopped
• salt, to taste
• 75 g (1⅓ cups) coconut flakes

To serve

• 4 free-range eggs

Resting time 15 minutes

Marinating time 10 minutes

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 220ºC.

To make the naan lid, place the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and poppy seeds into a bowl. Stir to combine well, then make a well in the centre. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and oil, then pour into the well and stir to combine until a dough comes together. Turn out onto a work surface and knead for 5 minutes or until a smooth dough forms. Add a little extra flour if the dough is too sticky. Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the dhal, heat the oil in a heavy-based ovenproof casserole over medium-high heat. Add the onion, spices and salt and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or until the onions are soft. Stir in the lentils and sugar until well coated, then add the stock and bring to a simmer while rolling out the naan lid. 

Take the dough out of the bowl and dust a clean work surface very lightly with the remaining tablespoon of flour. Roll the dough out to the same shape as the top of your casserole allowing for an extra 5 cm for overhang (it is going to act as a lid). Once the lentils have come to a simmer, remove from the heat, the place the naan lid over the top and press it firmly onto the edges of the casserole. Use a sharp knife to make a little slit in the centre to let the steam out. Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is golden and the lentils are cooked.

Meanwhile, to make the sambal, use a mandolin to thinly slice the cauliflower, then place in a bowl with the lime juice and toss to combine. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and remove the seeds with a spoon and discard. Slice into fine matchsticks, then add to the cauliflower with the spring onion, chilli and salt and toss to combine. Leave to marinate for 10 minutes before tossing with the coconut. 

Just before serving, bring a small saucepan of water pan to the boil and gently lower in the eggs. Cook for 5- 6 minutes (depending on size) or until soft-boiled). Drain, cool under cold water, then peel and halve. 

To serve, crack the naan lid and ladle the dhal into the bowls. Top with the sambal, the egg and serve the crispy naan with it. 

Note

• Stews, curries and spicy soups more often than not taste better the day after because the spices have time to infuse into all the other ingredients so any leftovers of this dish will be great the following day. The sambal is best made just before serving or the coconut goes soggy.

Recipes from Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook by Rachel Khoo (Michael Joseph, $39.99). Drop by Rachel Khoo’s website.

Photography by Prue Ruscoe. Styling by Lucy Tweed. Food preparation by Leanne Kitchen. Creative concept by Lou Fay.

  

Grey Dutch oven from Williams-Sonoma. Concrete wallpaper from eurowalls.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.