GREEN BEAN AND MANGO DAHL
With this dish, the bigger and greener the mango, the better. When mangoes are unripe or underripe, they impart a fresher fragrance than their softer, sweeter counterparts. This dahl is all about that fresh fragrance, and is further enhanced by the elegance of the green beans combined with the young fruit.
SERVES 4
▪ 250g (9oz) red lentils
▪ 1 large, green mango, peeled, stoned and cut into 1.5cm (5/8in) pieces
▪ 200g (7oz) tinned chopped tomatoes
▪ ½ tsp ground turmeric
▪ 3 tbsp vegetable oil
▪ 1tsp cumin seeds
▪ 1 fat green chilli, sliced
▪ 100g (3½oz) runner or green beans, cut into quarters
▪ 1 tsp sugar
▪ 1½tsp salt
▪ Juice of ½ a lemon
▪ A small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
Put the lentils, mango, chopped tomatoes, ground turmeric and 1ltr of boiling water in a large pan over a medium heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan with a lid and leave to cook for about 15 minutes, or until the lentils are soft.
When the lentils are almost cooked, heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan/ skillet over a medium heat, then add the cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds, until fragrant and dark golden brown. Add the sliced chilli to the pan and fry, stirring continuously, for 10 seconds, then add the runner or green beans and cook, still stirring, for 2 minutes. Tip the contents of the frying pan into the pan with the lentils and stir to combine.
Add the sugar, salt and lemon juice to the pan and stir to combine, then spoon the dahl into serving dishes and garnish with fresh chopped coriander before serving.