Emma Lentil Curry with Crispy Eggs and Tarka Broccoli Recipe
Lentils are a staple in many parts of the world, and are loved for their versatility. Traditionally used in soups in Scotland, they can be found worldwide in everything from stews to soups, or even made into a flour for poppadoms. Here we use lentils for a vegan curry (well, it’s vegan if you omit the crispy eggs).
The lentils soak up all the flavours from the spices and make a filling meal. We have accompanied this lentil curry with tarka broccoli. Tarka is a method of seasoning food with spices heated in oil or ghee (clarified butter). We are using oil to make the recipe vegan, but add the crispy eggs if you want to increase the meal’s protein. The eggs are a little different from the usual boring, boiled version on top of a curry, due to their crispy skin and spices. Finally, this isn’t an especially spicy curry, but if you‘d like some heat you can add a freshly chopped chilli or two, or chilli powder when adding the other spices, depending on how hot you would like it.
Lentil Curry with Crispy Eggs and Tarka Broccoli Recipe
Ingredients
2 tbsp oil (Vegetable oil is fine for this – you don’t need an expensive oil)
100g dried red lentils
2 onions, sliced
400g chopped tinned tomatoes
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped (1 ½ tsp of ground ginger if you can’t get fresh)
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
1 ½ tsp ground coriander
4 cardamom pods, squashed
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
Small bunch of coriander, chopped
Steamed rice or chapatis to serve
For the crispy eggs:
6 eggs
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp paprika
For the tarka:
One head of broccoli, cut into smaller pieces
1 tsp mustard seeds
1tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp dried red chilli flakes
1 tbsp oil
Method
Place the lentils, onions and tomatoes into a pan.
Add turmeric and mix through.
Add enough water to cover the lentils.
Cover the pot with a lid, bring to the boil, and simmer gently for around 20mins or until the lentils are tender.
Whilst the lentils are cooking, add eggs to boiling water and cook for 7 minutes, until they are hard boiled.
Remove eggs from the water and leave to cool.
Heat half of the oil in a pan and then add cumin, coriander, and cardamom pods.
Let them cook for a couple of minutes, then stir in the ginger and garlic and cook for a further couple of minutes.
Add the lentil mixture to this pot.
Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 20 mins, letting the lentils cook further. The lentil mixture will start to break down and look mushy.
Add spinach and cook for another 10 mins, until the lentil mixture has thickened and the spinach has wilted.
Whilst the spinach is cooking, peel the eggs.
Heat the remaining oil in a pan.
Add the peeled eggs, turmeric, and paprika.
Fry on a low heat until the egg skin starts to blister.
In another pan, cook the broccoli with 100ml of water.
Cook on high heat until the water has evaporated.
Add the oil, mustard seeds, cumin, coriander, and chilli to the pan with the broccoli.
Fry over a medium heat until the broccoli looks charred but still has a crunch to it.
Serve the lentil curry topped with eggs (or not, if vegan) and serve alongside rice or chapatis, with the tarka broccoli.
Lentil Curry with Crispy Eggs and Tarka Broccoli Recipe
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil Vegetable oil is fine for this – you don’t need an expensive oil
- 100 g dried red lentils
- 2 onions sliced
- 400 g chopped tinned tomatoes
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger finely chopped (1 ½ tsp of ground ginger if you can’t get fresh)
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 ½ tsp ground coriander
- 4 cardamom pods squashed
- 4 cloves of garlic crushed
- Small bunch of coriander chopped
- Steamed rice or chapatis to serve
- For the crispy eggs:
- 6 eggs
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp paprika
- For the tarka:
- One head of broccoli cut into smaller pieces
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp dried red chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp oil
Instructions
- Method
- Place the lentils, onions and tomatoes into a pan.
- Add turmeric and mix through.
- Add enough water to cover the lentils.
- Cover the pot with a lid, bring to the boil, and simmer gently for around 20mins or until the lentils are tender.
- Whilst the lentils are cooking, add eggs to boiling water and cook for 7 minutes, until they are hard boiled.
- Remove eggs from the water and leave to cool.
- Heat half of the oil in a pan and then add cumin, coriander, and cardamom pods.
- Let them cook for a couple of minutes, then stir in the ginger and garlic and cook for a further couple of minutes.
- Add the lentil mixture to this pot.
- Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 20 mins, letting the lentils cook further. The lentil mixture will start to break down and look mushy.
- Add spinach and cook for another 10 mins, until the lentil mixture has thickened and the spinach has wilted.
- Whilst the spinach is cooking, peel the eggs.
- Heat the remaining oil in a pan.
- Add the peeled eggs, turmeric, and paprika.
- Fry on a low heat until the egg skin starts to blister.
- In another pan, cook the broccoli with 100ml of water.
- Cook on high heat until the water has evaporated.
- Add the oil, mustard seeds, cumin, coriander, and chilli to the pan with the broccoli.
- Fry over a medium heat until the broccoli looks charred but still has a crunch to it.
- Serve the lentil curry topped with eggs (or not, if vegan) and serve alongside rice or chapatis, with the tarka broccoli.
