Chickpea and Lentil Curry

Some-times you need some heart-warming, tummy filling curry in your life so here's a recipe that's close to my heart. Although I was born in Australia, I grew up in Sri Lanka for half of my childhood and got to experience the delicious authentic curries made with so many different vegetables. I took this recipe from my mum and added my own twist to it. If you're not used to eating a lot of chilli, feel free to leave that out... or if you like to live life on the edge why not add more?

Simple lentil and chickpea curry with brown rice.

Lentil curry with eggplant, okra and brown rice.

• 2 tbsp coconut oil

• 3 cloves of garlic

• small piece of ginger

• 1 cup red lentils 

• 1/2 cup chickpeas (soaked and boiled or from a can)

• a couple of sticks of cinnamon

• handful of bay leaves

• 2 small tomatoes

• 4-5 cups water

• 1 tbsp of turmeric powder

• 10 cumin cloves crushed (use the inside only)

• 1 tbsp of chilli powder

• 1 green chilli sliced fine

• 2 tbsp of coconut milk powder (or fresh coconut milk)

• 1 cup fresh spinach 

1. Start by heating the coconut oil in a pan (or a clay pot if you want the real authentic taste).
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Ingredients: Serves Four

2. While that's heating chop up onion, crush garlic and ginger. Add these to the pot. 
3. Wash and rinse red lentils and chickpeas and add once the onion is cooked and becomes transparent. Break up cinnamon and throw this in with a handful of bay leaves. Chop the tomatoes and add these to the pot too.
4. Add 4-5 cups of water and bring to boil (this part takes a while around 10- 15 mins). When it's boiling reduce the heat and simmer for another 10mins. Mix in turmeric powder, cumin cloves, chilli powder, chilli and cook until it's combined. 
5. For the final touches I add coconut milk powder  and mix until combined. Turn off the heat, add the spinach and mix.