This year I’ve been all about quick and easy recipes and this Easy Weeknight Sweet Potato & Spinach Dhal is exactly that. It’s so simple yet is packed full of flavour, is super nourishing and is one of my go-to weekday recipes.

We spent the first 5 months of this year renovating our house, so quick and easy recipes (ideally made in one pot/pan) became essential! We crazily tried to live through the renovation for the first few months, but eventually had to move out when we went into lockdown and a bunch of tradesmen showed up to install windows! While it was a great excuse to have takeout A LOT, it also meant creating and photographing new recipes was rather difficult.

As well as our house project, I’ve also been working on a secret project for some time now and we’re almost ready to reveal all the details!  In the meantime, if you want a sneak peek head to www.haloandswoon.com or @haloandswoon.

So with a lot less time on my hands this dhal (also spelt dal, daal and dahl) recipe has become a firm staple. The recipe calls for red split lentils because split lentils have had their skins removed which causes them to naturally split in two, and as a result cook very quickly. Lentils are a great source of fibre, plant based protein, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc.

You can easily adapt this recipe to ingredients you have on hand. Sweet potato can be swapped for regular potato or pumpkin, and spinach can be substituted for any dark leafy greens such a silverbeet, chard, kale or collard greens.

Hope you enjoy this recipe and stay tuned for our big announcement soon!

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato & Spinach Dhal

Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes  Cook time: 30 minutes

1 brown onion
2 cloves garlic
1 large sweet potato
3 large handfuls spinach
1 handful mushrooms
1 cup red split lentils
2 Tbsp curry powder
1 to 2 cups water
1 can coconut milk
salt + pepper

Garnish (optional)
microgreens (I like coriander sprouts)
yoghurt (I like unsweetened coconut yoghurt)

Peel and cut onion into small pieces, peel and crush garlic. Heat 1 Tbsp avocado or coconut oil in a large pan or pot, add onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until they begin to soften

While the onion is cooking, peel and cut sweet potato into cubes. Wash and slice mushrooms. Wash lentils and drain. Wash spinach.

Add the sweet potato to the pan and continue to cook another 5 minutes. If the onions are starting to stick, add a little water to release the caramelised  juices from the bottom of the pan.

Add the curry powder, coconut milk, mushrooms, lentils and 1 cup of water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook for around 20 minutes or until the lentils are well cooked and soft, adding extra water if needed.

Just before serving stir in the spinach. Serve dhal warm with a dollop of yoghurt and sprinkle of microgreens on top.

This dhal is delicious on it’s own, but is equally good with a side of rice or dosa. Keep dhal up to 5 days in a sealed container in the fridge, gently reheat in a pan before serving.

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