Another typical Yotam Ottolenghi dish: a kilometric list of ingredients for an amazing plate of lentils, that will warm you even on the coldest days of winter. The recipe was found on Yotam’s New Vegetarian column at the Guardian, and of course on Plenty, his latest cookbook.

Spiced lentils with cucumber yogurt

Ingredients 

• 200g split red lentils
• 1 bunch fresh coriander
• 1 small onion, peeled
• 40g ginger, peeled
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 mild green chilli
• half teaspoon of  black mustard seeds
• 4 tablespoons of sunflower oil
• half teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• half teaspoon ground turmeric
• half teaspoon paprika
• 10 curry leaves
• 300g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 teaspoon caster sugar
• half teaspoon fenugreek (optional)
• 1 pinch asafoetida (optional)
• Salt
• 150g Greek yogurt (I used regular lactose free yogurt)
• 75g finely diced cucumber
• half tablespoon of olive oil
• 70g unsalted butter
• lime juice

Methods

Wash the lentils in plenty of water, drain and soak in 350ml of fresh water for 30 minutes. Cut the coriander bunch somewhere around its centre to get a leafy top half and a stem/root bottom half. Roughly chop the leaves. Put the stem half in the bowl of a food processor, add the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli – all roughly broken – and pulse a few times to chop up without turning into a paste.

Put the mustard seeds in a heavy-based pot and place over medium heat. When they begin to pop, add the onion mix and sunflower oil, stir and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Add the spices and curry leaves, and continue cooking and stirring for five minutes longer. Now add the lentils and their soaking water, the tomatoes, sugar, fenugreek, asafoetida and a pinch of salt. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the lentils are fully cooked.

Before serving, whisk together the yogurt, cucumber, oil and some salt. Stir into the lentils the butter, lime juice and chopped coriander leaves, taste and season generously with salt. Divide into bowls, spoon yogurt on top and garnish with coriander.