Coconut and chilli dahl

(Serves 2)

Ingredients

Dahl
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 white onion (finely diced)
1 carrot (finely diced)
4 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp of chilli flakes or fresh diced red chilli
400g red lentils
1 can of coconut milk
700ml vegetable stock
Spring onions to serve

Honey garlic tofu
1 block (around 300g) of extra firm tofu
Cornflour
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves of garlic (minced)

Method

For the dhal

1. Add coconut oil, white onion, carrot, garlic, fresh chilli, and ginger to a pan. Cook for around 8 minutes until onion is translucent and soft. 
2. Add the rest of the spices and the coconut milk and leave for a couple of minutes to prepare the stock.
3. Add the lentils to the pan and the stock. Stir will and leave on a medium heat for around 25 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the lentils are soft. Stir regularly to avoid burning/sticking to the bottom of the pan. 

For the tofu

1. While the dahl is cooking, chop the tofu into cubes and coat in cornflour (this removes some of the moisture and gives the tofu a crunchy, firm coating). 
2. Heat a pan with layer of oil. Once hot, add the tofu cubes. Turn every few minutes to make sure the sides aren’t burning. It should sizzle. One done, remove from the pan and set aside. 
3. In the empty pan, blot away any excess oil and add the minced garlic. Let it cook for a few minutes until aromatic.
4. Add the soy sauce and the honey, and keep stirring for around 5 minutes until the sauce is thickened. You should be able to move your spatula down the middle of the pan and the sauce should be thick enough that it take around 5 seconds to meet again.
5. Once thickened, take off the heat. 
6. Add the tofu to the pan and coat in the sticky sauce.
7. Serve the tofu on a bed of dahl. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the tofu, and garnish with spring onion.