Dhal with roasted cauliflower, curry leaves and green chilli sauce

This aromatic curry ensemble is for when you want all of the flavours but without meat. There's spice-accented roasted cauliflower, a creamy and fragrant dhal and a robust sauce of green chilli, mint and lime.

Dhal with roasted cauliflower, curry leaves and green chilli sauce Credit: Kitti Gould

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh curry leaves
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 5 cm piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 bunch coriander, leaves picked, stems chopped
• 2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 145 g (⅔ cup) red lentils
• 400 g tinned cherry tomatoes
• 750 ml - 1 litre vegetable stock or water
• 125 g (½ cup) coconut cream

Roasted cauliflower

• 1 medium cauliflower, cut into wedges
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Green chilli sauce

• 1 garlic clove
• 1 long green chilli, roughly chopped
• 2 tsp finely grated lime zest
• salt, to taste
• ¼ bunch mint, leaves picked
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 limes, juiced
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. For the roasted cauliflower, preheat a fan forced oven to 200°C and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl, then spread over the lined tray. Roast for 25–30 minutes or until golden and tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the curry leaves for 1 minute or until crisp. Drain on paper towel.
3. Return the pan to medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes or until softened, then add the garlic, ginger and coriander stems and cook for a further 2–4 minutes until golden. Add the mustard seeds, then the garam masala and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the lentils, tomatoes and 750 ml vegetable stock. Add more stock as you need it. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium–low and simmer for 25–30 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
4. For the green chilli sauce, place the garlic, green chilli, lime zest and a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle. Grind to a paste, then add mint and coriander leaves and pound into a paste again. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice and olive oil.
5. Serve the dhal topped with the roasted cauliflower and a drizzle of coconut cream, green chilli sauce and a sprinkling of fried curry leaves.

 

Photography by Kitti Gould.

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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.

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