Recipes and photos are AI created and editorially reviewed. Nutrition figures are estimates.
A tangy South Indian lentil and vegetable stew with tamarind, sambar spices, tofu and a mustard seed and curry leaf tadka.
Equipment: Large saucepan, small frying pan
Measures and names
Ingredients
- 80 g red lentils, rinsed
- 280 g firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 100 g green beans, cut into short lengths
- 1 small aubergine (eggplant) or courgette (zucchini), cut into chunks
- 2 tsp sambar powder (or 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp chilli powder)
- 1 tsp tamarind paste, unsweetened
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 sprig of curry leaves (about 12 leaves)
- 1 dried red chilli
- Salt
- 1 small handful of fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped
Method
- Put the lentils, turmeric, onion and tomato in a large saucepan with 650 ml water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the green beans, aubergine, sambar powder and tamarind and simmer for 8 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the tofu, season with salt and simmer for 4 minutes more. Add a splash of water if it is too thick: it should be soupy.
- For the tadka, heat the oil in a small frying pan and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the curry leaves and dried chilli for 20 seconds.
- Pour the tadka over the stew, scatter with coriander and serve.
Swaps and tips
Sambar powder is sold in Indian grocers. Traditionally sambar is made with toor dal, which takes longer to cook; red lentils are quicker. Some sambar powders contain asafoetida mixed with wheat flour, so check the label if you avoid gluten. Keeps for 3 days in the fridge and freezes well.
Nutrition estimated, per serving
| Protein | Carbs | Fibre | Fat | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 g | 33 g | 12 g | 19 g | 441 kcal |
Values are estimates based on typical UK food composition data and will vary with brands and portion sizes.
Recipes are AI created and editorially reviewed; kitchen testing is ongoing. Made this recipe? .
Recipe from healthshelf.org
