Epic Cottage Pie
Takes
Serves 8
Ingredients
- 3 X 400g tinned lentils (rinsed and drained)
- 2 parsnips (grated)
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 sprigs of fresh thyme (leaves removed from the stalk generous 1/2 tsp black pepper)
- 3 tbsp tamari
- 1 l Veg stock
- 100 g green beans (cut into bite sized pieces)
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 kg sweet potato (3 medium washed well, blemishes taken out (unpeeled) , cut into uniform pieces)
- 500 g regular potato (washed well, unpeeled and uniformly cut)
- 150 ml oat milk or other non-dairy milk of your choice
- 1 tsp salt
- A pinch of ground black pepper to taste
- 1 bunch coriander (both leaves and stalks (approx. 50g))
- a pinch of black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic (peeled and left whole)
- juice of half a lemon
- ½ tsp salt
- 100 ml neutral tasting oil
- 100 ml water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF, Gas Mark 4).
- Chop the sweet potatoes and regular potatoes into a uniform size so that they will cook evenly. Put them into a medium sized pot, cover with water and boil until soft, about 20-25 minutes.
- In another medium sized pan, add 2 tbsp oil and grate in the 2 parsnips.
- Add the thyme leaves and fry for a minute before adding in the lentils and then the tamari. Slowly add in the veg stock so it starts to evaporate and the lentils start to absorb it slowly. Add 1/2 a heaped tsp of black pepper and then the rest of the veg stock, letting it slowly evaporate.
- While these two pots are cooking you can make the coriander pesto by adding all the pesto ingredients to a blender and blend till smooth.
- Once this is done, you will see that the liquid in the lentil mixture has evaporated significantly. Make sure that there is still a decent bit of moisture so that the potatoes will absorb it. Add in the fine beans and mix through the hot lentil mixture, letting them cook in that heat.
- The potatoes should now be ready (a knife cuts through them very easily). Drain the water and add 1 tsp salt and the oat milk. Then mash them all together.
- Remove the bay leaves and then line the lentil and veg mix at the bottom of a casserole tray, drizzle some of the coriander pesto on top of the lentil mix and distribute the mash evenly on top. Score it with a fork to make it look nice and even.
- Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until it crisps along the top.
- Finish by drizzling with the remaining coriander pesto before serving. Enjoy!
Video
5 minutes Dahl
The idea of cooking a curry in 5 minutes might seem a little far fetched but once you cook this you will become a believer! Its a wonderful recipe to have in your repertoire as its so tasty and easy to make and you can easily adapt it to what ingredient you have and also to your pallet
Takes: 5mins | Makes: 2 Servings | Difficulty: Beginner
A Dahl is generally applied to any curry that is lentil based. The reason why this works so well while only taking 5 mins is that we use fast cooking veg and also pre cooked beans and lentils. The main flavour agents are what is known as an Indian stock where we use onion or in this case scallions or green onions along with garlic, ginger and chilli as the base flavours which all other flavours hang off. The main liquid part of the sauce is comprised of coconut milk and chopped tomatoes, the coconut milk bring a sweet richness which balances out the acidity from the chopped tomatoes. The spinach add more nutrients to this dish and once it has wilted it add almost a creamy like texture and a beautiful bright contrasting colour.
FAQ – frequently asked questions
You can simply use water or veg stock in place and it will result in a more lighter and lower in fat version. Alternatively you could use oat milk or non dairy milk of choice however it wont be as indulgent or as rich.
Lastly you could substitute with a cashew cream sauce.
Absolutely! You could use any cooked beans or lentils of choice, some of our favourites are butterbeans, blackbeans and lentils.
Yes indeed it freezes really well and heats up great. We suggest freezing it in portions so you only have to reheat what you need so it avoids wastage.
Allow it to cook and store it in a reusable tub in the fridge. It will last for 2 days in the fridge.
Yes indeed, white onions, red onions, or even leeks can work in place, the onions function as the base flavours, they will just require longer to caramelise so the dish will take you more like 10 mins or even 15 mins to make
It will last for 2 days in the fridge
Serving suggestions for this 5 mins Dahl?
- Although from a totally different continent and different ethnicities – middle eastern dips go amazing with a dahl, here is our favourite middle eastern sharing mezze plater.
- If you are doing an Indian feast like dinner here is a recipe for a beautiful vegan butter chickn curry that is so creamy
- Another recipe hailing from a totally different continent yet goes great great is this sticky toffee pudding recipe.
Our favourite Chickpea & lentil recipes
- Here’s a lovely simple lower fat dahl recipe great for weight management
- A split Red lentil Dahl is always one of our favourite meals and is so soothing
- A real classic using lentils is this easy to make Lentil Spaghetti Bolognese
5 Minute Dahl
Takes 5 minutes
Serves 3
Ingredients
- 400 g chickpeas tin of cooked chickpeas
- 400 g cooked lentils tin
- 3 cloves garlic
- 20 g small nub of ginger
- 5 scallions/spring onions
- 2 tbsp oil
- 50 g baby spinach
- 400 g coconut milk tin
- ½ lime or lemon juice
- 15 g fresh coriander
- 10 cherry tomatoes
- 2 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp salt adjust to taste
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 3 wholemeal pitta breads toasted to serve
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas and lentils. Peel and finely chop the garlic and ginger, chop the scallions, and halve the cherry tomatoes. Pick the coriander leaves and finely chop the stalks.
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over high heat. Add the garlic and ginger to the pan, then reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the scallions, cherry tomatoes, coriander stalks, and 1 tsp of salt to the pan. Cook for a further minute.
- Add the coconut milk, lentils, and chickpeas. Stir well. Then, add the curry powder, ground cumin, turmeric, remaining salt, black pepper, tamari/soy sauce, and lime juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes.
- A few minutes before serving, add the spinach to wilt. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve with toasted pitta breads, fresh coriander, and chilli flakes, if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Video
Red lentil dahl
We love Dahl and have been cooking it at home and in our cafe for years! This red lentil Dahl is of our oldest and favourite recipes. Vegan, gluten free and made with no oil, yet so tasty and comforting. A great recipe for batch cooking too! We hope you try it!
Takes: 40 mins | Makes: 4 Servings | Difficulty: Beginner
This Red lentil Dahl recipe is delicious. Dahl is one of the most widely eaten dishes in the world, well in India anyway! A delicious smooth lentil based curry that melts in your mouth! It is like a warm hug on a cold day and definitely is comforting! We have been making Dahl for years. It is a real staple on our Happy Pear cafe menu most weeks in some form, whether made with red lentils or mung beans, with coconut milk or without, oven baked or cooked in a pot. There are so many ways to get from A to Dahl!This recipe is easy to follow and is a good basis to start your Dahl cooking adventure on.. As it is a recipe from our Happy Heart Course it is low in fat, high in fibre and full of heart healthy nutrition.
FAQ – frequently asked questions
Yes, it’s no problem to use tinned lentils. Just use 2-3 400g tins of lentils and drain and rinse before using. And only use approx 500ml of water.
No problem, simply use an equal amount of curry powder in place of all the different spices.
Yes indeed it freezes really well and heats up great.
Store it in a reusable tub in the fridge. It will last for 2 days in the fridge.
Yes indeed, simply use a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
It will last for 2 days in the fridge
Serving suggestions for this Red lentil Dahl
- It goes brilliant served with a Dosa pancake from this easy Channa Masala with a chickpea Dosa recipe
- These Sweet Potato Fritter make a great starter
- Here is a Our 3 favourite recipes with chickpeas that goes wonderfully
- A super tasty and healthier dessert are these easy to make Healthier caramel square
Our favourite Dahl recipes
- This 5 minute Dahl recipe is one of our favourites!
- One of our most popular Dahl recipes is this Easy vegan Dahl for weigh loss
- Here is a lovely Coconut and green lentil Dahl that is so tasty
Red Lentil Dahl
Takes
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 500 g red lentils
- 2 red onions
- 3 cloves of garlic
- ½ a thumb-size piece of ginger
- 1 courgette
- 4 medium ripe tomatoes
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 3 tsp medium curry powder
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp tamari
- juice of 1 lime
- small bunch of fresh coriander
Instructions
- Peel and finely slice the onions, garlic and ginger. Cut the courgette into bite-size pieces and roughly chop the tomatoes
- Saute the onions, garlic and ginger in 4 tbsp of water in a large pan on a high heat for 5 minutes. Stir regularly, adding more water if they start to stick to the bottom of the pan. When the onions are soft, add the courgette, tomatoes and 1 tsp salt. Cover the pan and cook gently over a low heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the lentils, spices, tamari, lime juice, the remaining salt and 2 litres of water, and bring to the boil. Reduce to a low heat and simmer for 25 minutes, or until you are happy with the texture of the dahl. Stir regularly, as lentils have a tendency to stick
- Finely chop the coriander and sprinkle over the dahl. Serve with brown rice or toasted wholemeal pitta breads, cut into soldiers. Mango chutney is also a nice accompaniment
Nutrition
Video
Chocolate Banana Bread
Takes
Serves 10
Ingredients
- 100 g chocolate chips or chocolate chopped into chips
- 200 g white flour white spelt, buckwheat, or gluten-free flour
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bread soda bicarbonate of soda
- 120 ml sunflower or coconut oil
- 150 g liquid sweetener such as maple syrup, agave syrup, or brown rice syrup
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
- 6 tbsp water
- 3 ripe bananas
- 50 g walnuts roughly chopped or crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
- Prepare the Flax Mixture: In a glass or cup, combine the ground flaxseeds and water. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes, until it forms a gel-like consistency.
- Combine the Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, add the flour, ground cinnamon, baking powder, and bread soda. Stir to combine.
- Blend the Wet Ingredients: In a blender, add the peeled bananas, sunflower or coconut oil, liquid sweetener, and the flax mixture. Blend until smooth.If you don’t have a blender, simply mash the bananas in a bowl and thoroughly mix in the other wet ingredients until smooth.
- Mix the Batter: Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir until a smooth batter forms.
- Add the Chocolate Chips and Walnuts: Fold the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts into the batter until evenly distributed.
- Prepare the Baking Tray: Line a baking tray (approximately 23cm x 15cm x 5cm) with baking parchment.
- Pour and Decorate: Pour the batter into the lined tray. For added decoration, slice a banana lengthwise and place it on top of the batter. Scatter a few extra chocolate chips on top if desired.
- Bake: Bake for approximately 60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the banana bread to cool in the tray, then slice and enjoy!
Video
Dave’s Delicious 5 Minute Dahl
Takes
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 small piece of ginger (½ thumb sized piece)
- 5 scallions (or spring onions)
- 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas
- 1 x 400g tin of cooked lentils
- 1 handful of baby spinach
- 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 200 ml veg stock
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)
- 1 small bunch of coriander
- 10 cherry tomatoes
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 2 tbsp tamari
- pinch of salt to season
- Serving suggestion
- Toasted wholemeal pittas (or fresh coriander)
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas and lentils.
- Peel and finely chop the garlic and ginger. Chop the scallions (spring onions) and halve the cherry tomatoes. Pick the coriander leaves and finely chop the stalks.
- Heat a large non-stick pan over high heat. Add the cumin seeds and fennel seeds to the pan and toast for 30 seconds.
- Add the chopped scallions, garlic, and ginger to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the ground cumin, curry powder, and turmeric, and cook for another 20 seconds.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and a pinch of salt.
- Add the drained lentils, chickpeas, chopped tomatoes, and the vegetable stock. Stir well.
- Add the tamari, spinach, lime juice, and sweetener (if using). Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped coriander before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve with toasted pitas and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. You can also add chilli flakes if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Sweet Potato Fritter
Takes
Serves
Ingredients
- 1 kg sweet potato
- 1 red onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 x 400 g tin of chickpeas rinsed and drained (280 g net weight)
- Few leaves of chopped coriander
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tsp tamari
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- Generous pinch of black pepper
- ½ red chilli chopped finely
- ½ lemon juiced
- 150 g peas
- 3 tbsp sieved gram flour
- 1 pinch of salt for coating
- 1 pinch of black pepper for coating
- 50 ml water for coating
- 1 ½ tbsp oil optional
Instructions
- Roast the Sweet Potatoes:Preheat your oven to 180°C (fan).Chop the sweet potatoes into small chunks and place them on a baking tray.Roast for 25 minutes or until cooked through.
- Prepare the Fritter Mixture:In a large mixing bowl, finely chop the garlic, red onion, red chilli, and coriander.Once the sweet potatoes are roasted, mash them together with the chickpeas, 1 tsp of salt, tamari, ground cumin, a generous pinch of black pepper, and lemon juice until well combined.
- Incorporate Peas:Add the peas to the mixture and gently mix through until evenly distributed.
- Shape the Fritters:Flatten out the mixture and cut into desired shapes. A 7-8 cm scone cutter works well for this.
- Prepare the Coating:In a separate bowl, mix the sieved gram flour with a generous pinch of salt, a pinch of black pepper, and water to create a coating mixture.
- Cook the Fritters:Heat a non-stick pan over high heat. Once hot, reduce to medium-high heat.Coat each fritter in the gram flour mixture and fry in the pan until golden, about 3 minutes per side.Repeat until all fritters are cooked.
- Serve:Allow the fritters to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy with hummus or your preferred dipping sauce!
Video
Creamy Red Pepper Pasta
Takes
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 300 g dried wholemeal penne
- SAUCE
- 100 g cashew nuts – soaked overnight or soak in boiling water for 10 mins
- 500 ml oat milk
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 100 g jarred roasted red peppers
- TO GARNISH
- 20 g fresh basil
Instructions
- Cook your pasta as per instructions on the pack in well salted water. While it is cooking time to make the creamy red pepper sauce sauce.
- Blend all ingredients for the sauce (except the basil) till smooth.
- Drain the pasta, keeping some pasta water aside. Add the drained pasta and cashew sauce to the empty pot, mix well over low heat until warmed through, adding a few tablespoons of pasta water if needed and simmer until the sauce has thickened nicely to your desired consistency.
- Pick the basil leaves and roughly chop. Taste and season before serving with the chopped basil. Enjoy!!
Video
Bombay Potato and Tomato Curry
This Bombay potato recipe is our take on the classic Indian recipe. In our vegan version we add aubergine and cook it until they melt in your mouth, they go perfectly with the potatoes. This is a great family dish and easy to make for batch cooking and freezing. Enjoy!
Prep time : 5 mins | Cook time : 20 mins | Total time : 25 mins |
Makes: 4 Servings | Difficulty: Beginner
This Vegan Bombay potato and tomato curry recipe is so comforting. Our take on the the classic Indian dish is tasty, easy to make and great for batch cooking and freezing, it ticks all the boxes. It is one of our go to curry recipes and the potatoes and aubergines soak up all the delicious spices and are melt in your mouth tender when cooked. This potato curry recipe works great as a main course with some naan or pita and vegan yoghurt or as a great side dish served with salad and any of your other favourite Curry recipes.
FAQ – frequently asked questions
Yes of course, aubergines work really well in this curry . But you could use tofu or courgette instead.
No problem, simply use an equal amount of curry powder in place of all the different spices.
Yes indeed it freezes really well and heats up great.
Store it in a reusable tub in the fridge. It will last for 2 days in the fridge.
Absolutely, just leave out if you prefer less spice.
It will last for 2 days in the fridge
Yes, you can use parsley or your favourite leafy green herb.
Serving suggestions for this Bombay potato recipe ;
- This curry goes great with the flatbread from this Tagine and flatbread recipe.
- Another great side for this curry is the dosa savoury pancake from this channa masala recipe
- Pickles and curry are so great together . We love to add a little kim chi on the side with our curries
Some of our favourite curry recipes
- This is one of our favourites! a 5 min Chickpea curry
- Another great easy Curry winner is this vegan sweet potato and coconut curry
- Here is a lovely easy quick dahl recipe so easy to make.
Bombay Potato and Tomato Curry
Takes
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 medium red onions
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 red chilli deseeded if preferred
- ½ thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
- 1 aubergine
- 400 g potatoes leave the skin on if possible; remove blemishes
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp fennel seeds reduce to ½ tsp if desired
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- Juice of ½ lime
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
To Serve:
- 20 g fresh coriander/cilantro
- 20 g flaked almonds toasted
Instructions
- Prepare the Ingredients:Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic.Deseed and finely chop the chilli.Peel and finely grate the ginger.Chop the aubergine and potatoes into bite-sized pieces (leave the potato skin on if desired, ensuring any blemishes are removed).
- Cook the Base:Heat a large saucepan over high heat. Once hot, reduce to medium and add the chopped onions, garlic, ginger, and chilli. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to brown. If the mixture begins to stick, add 2 tbsp of water to loosen.
- Add Vegetables and Spices:Add the chopped aubergine, potatoes, and spices (cumin, coriander, fennel seeds, turmeric, cardamom, and 1½ tsp salt) to the pan. Cover with a lid and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. If the mixture sticks, deglaze the pan by adding a couple of tablespoons of water and scraping any caramelised bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.
- Finish Cooking:Add the vegetable stock, tinned chopped tomatoes, and maple syrup to the pan. Season with ½ tsp black pepper and an additional tsp of salt. Cook for another 10 minutes to allow the flavours to blend.
- Adjust Seasoning:Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, black pepper, a squeeze of lime juice, or a pinch of chilli powder if desired.
- Garnish and Serve:Roughly chop the fresh coriander. Divide the curry between warmed bowls, garnish with chopped coriander and toasted flaked almonds, and serve.
Nutrition
Video
Chickpea curry in 5 mins
This recipe started out a challenge wondering could we cook a beautiful Chickpea curry in 5 mins – we weren’t sure if we could do it but low and behold it worked and it really tasted so good – so much so the recipe video for this has over 2 million views.
Takes: 5mins | Makes: 2 Servings | Difficulty: Beginner
Traditional french cooking is all about time – time to reduce sauces and really concentrate flavour. We show here that you can still get deep flavour in short time. By using tamari or soy sauce which typically is not used in Indian cooking it gives that deeper umami note. The coconut milk adds the creamy indulgent sweet quality to the sauce which offsets the acidity in the tomatoes. We use 2 tins of chickpeas in this recipe which you could easily substitute with any other cooked bean or lentil of choice.
How to make this curry – step by step photograph guide
- Gather your ingredients
- Heat a wide bottomed non stick pan on high heat. We cook this dish on high heat as we want to cook it as quick as possible – the goal is 5 mins.
- Peel and chop the onion, garlic and ginger. Finely dice the chilli and remove the seeds if you prefer it less hot. These are known as an Indian stock, these will function as our base flavours.
- Once our pan is nice and hot add in the chopped onion, garlic, ginger and chilli and fry for 2 mins stirring regularly so that the onion starts to brown
5. Next add in the curry powder and black pepper and mix through. We want to awaken the flavours here in the spices and cook for 30 seconds and keep stirring to ensure they don’t burn.
6. Drain and rinse the cans of chickpeas and add to the pan along with the can of chopped tomatoes and can of coconut milk and mix well. Don’t worry if there are any lumps of the coconut fat these will melt and add a creaminess to your sauce.
7. Add in the zest of half of a lime and juice of half a lime.
8. Finely chip the fresh coriander or herb of choice including the stalk. And add to the dish
9. Most importantly taste and season to your liking. If you like it more spicy add more chilli, if you prefer your curry with more zing or acidity add more lime juice or if you prefer a deeper flavour add some more tamari and finally if it tastes too strong or salted and 2-3 tbsp of water to dilute the flavour and adjust to your liking.
10. Serve with some teryaki tofu and some sliced avocado or any other accompaniments that you would like.
FAQ – frequently asked questions
You can simply use water or veg stock in place and it will result in a more lighter and lower in fat version. Alternatively you could use oat milk or non dairy milk of choice however it wont be as indulgent or as rich.
Lastly you could substitute with a cashew cream sauce.
Absolutely! You could use any cooked beans or lentils of choice, some of our favourites are butterbeans, blackbeans and lentils.
Yes indeed it freezes really well and heats up great.
Allow it to cool and store it in a reusable tub in the fridge. It will last for 2 days in the fridge.
Yes indeed, white onions, green onions, leeks or even scallions can work in place, the onions function as the base flavours
It will last for 2 days in the fridge
Serving suggestions for this Chickpea curry?
- It goes amazing served with a Dosa or savoury pancake- here we make an easy Chickpea Dosa and serve it with a channa masala
- If you are doing an Indian dinner here is a recipe for a wonderful street food recipe from Dehli called a Pav Bhaji
- These Sweet potato Fritters are so lovely and crispy and add a whole other texture to this dish
- An amazing cake to finish your meal is this fabulous Chocolate mousse cake
Our favourite Chickpea recipes
- Here are 3 of our favourite chickpea recipes, a channa masala with a chickpea Dosa, or a low FODMAP chickpea curry with mushrooms which is easy to digest
Chickpea Curry
Takes 5 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
- ½ red onion
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic
- ½ thumb-sized piece of ginger
- ½ a red chili if you like it spice like Dave, leave the seeds in!
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- 1 g x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 g x 400g tin coconut milk
- 1 g x 400g tin of chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- small bunch of coriander
- zest of ½ lime
- juice of ½ lime
- 1 avocado
Instructions
- Heat the oil on a medium heat.
- Thinly slice the onion and garlic and add to the pan.
- Grate the ginger into the pan. No need to remove the skin!
- Thinly slice the chilli and add to the pan.
- Add the spices and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, coconut milk and chickpeas.
- Add the salt and pepper.
- Chop the coriander and add to the pan along with the lime zest.
- Add the lime juice, season to taste and serve with avocado and the grain of your choice. Lovely!