Red lentil and leek soup

SERVES 4

YOU’LL NEED

100g split red lentils

500ml vegetable stock

100g chopped leeks

100g chopped tomatoes (fresh or tinned)

1 small onion, diced

1 green chilli, finely diced

1 tsp grated ginger

2½ tsp sambar spice powder (available online and from Asian supermarkets)

½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

½ tsp coriander powder

salt to taste juice of

½ lime

SAMBAR

2 tbsp sunflower oil

2-3 dried whole chillies

1 tsp black mustard seeds

4-5 curry leaves

METHOD

1 Wash the lentils, then place in a pan with the stock and cook until tender – about 20 minutes.

2 Add the leeks, tomatoes, onion, chilli, ginger and all the dried spices, and cook down for a further 20 minutes (if you want a smooth soup, give it a whizz in a blender).

3 In a separate small pan, heat the oil, add the dried whole chillies, mustard seeds and curry leaves. As soon as everything starts to sizzle and splutter, carefully pour the hot oil and spices mix into the soup, and stir well.

4 Add salt to taste, squeeze over the lime juice, then serve hot.