Red Lentil Carrot Kofte Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lay the carrots in a roasting pan and toss with 3 tablespoons oil. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper. Roast for 20 minutes. Turn the carrots, add the onion and roast 15 minutes, until the carrots are brown and tender. When carrots are cool enough, cut them in 1/4-inch dice.
• Warm 2 tablespoons oil in a saucepan. Add the carrot-and-onion mixture, the chili powders and the cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the lentils. Add the stock and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils are falling apart. Season with remaining salt and pepper to taste. Serve with rice, or as a thick soup.

Steps:

• Tahini Sauce mix tahini with 75ml water, juice of half lemon, one garlic clove, pepper and 2tbsp olive oil. Get it as thick as double cream by adding water as necessary. Lentils bring lentils to boil in 250ml water, reduce heart and simmer for twenty minutes, covered, until completely soft. Remove from heat and stir in bulgar. Leave for twenty minutes, covered, so grains can plump. Cook carrots with sugar and pepper in the carrot juice, or water. When completely soft, drain, mash and mix with lentils. sauté onion until completely soft. Add cumin, paprika and remaining garlic and cook for a further two minutes. Sir in pepper paste and tomato purée. Cook for another thirty seconds. Stir into lentils. Mix in juice of one lemon, half the coriander, seasoning and two tbsp olive oil. Shape into balls, about the size of half a walnut. Indentation in one side for the pomegranate. The remaining coriander mixes with the salad leaves and is tossed with the last of the lemon juice and olive oil. Put on a serving plate, place koftes on top and drizzle with tahini.

Steps:

• Put the kettle on to boil while you finely slice the onion. Heat the oil in a medium pan, add the onion and fry for 2 mins while you slice the garlic and dice the carrots. Add them to the pan, and cook briefly over the heat.
• Pour in 1 litre of the boiling water from the kettle, stir in the lentils and stock cube, then cover the pan and cook over a medium heat for 15 mins until the lentils are tender. Take off the heat and stir in the parsley. Ladle into bowls, and scatter with extra parsley leaves, if you like.

Steps:

• Heat a large saucepan and dry-fry 2 tsp cumin seeds and a pinch of chilli flakes for 1 min, or until they start to jump around the pan and release their aromas.
• Scoop out about half with a spoon and set aside. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, 600g coarsely grated carrots, 140g split red lentils, 1l hot vegetable stock and 125ml milk to the pan and bring to the boil.
• Simmer for 15 mins until the lentils have swollen and softened.
• Whizz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth (or leave it chunky if you prefer).
• Season to taste and finish with a dollop of plain yogurt and a sprinkling of the reserved toasted spices. Serve with warmed naan breads.