Delightful Daal and Roti

Start by making the roti: Combine the self raising flour (200 g), salt (0.5 tsp), and vegetable oil (1 tbsp) in a large mixing bowl. Make a well, pour in the water (100 ml), and knead until a smooth dough forms. Cover the bowl with oiled cling film and let rest for 20 minutes. Start 20m timer

Prepare daal ingredients: Peel and finely chop the onion (1 large). Rip the leaves from the fresh coriander (30 g), finely chop the stems, and roughly chop the leaves. Peel and finely grate the garlic (3 cloves) and fresh ginger (2.5 cm). Heat olive oil (2.5 tbsp) in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion (1 large) and salt (0.5 tsp), stir for 5–7 minutes until softened. Add the grated garlic (3 cloves), fresh ginger (2.5 cm), chilli flakes (1 tsp), and coriander stems; stir for 2–3 minutes. Add the ground cumin (0.5 tbsp), turmeric powder (1 tsp), garam masala (4 tsp), caster sugar (1 tsp), ground coriander (1 tsp), and ground fenugreek (1 tsp); stir together for 30 seconds. Start 7m timer

Next, make the daal: Rinse the red lentils (200 g) and add them to the pan; stir for 1 minute. Pour in the chopped tomatoes (400 g) (1 can), fold into the lentils and bring to a gentle simmer. Pour in the vegetable stock (500 ml) and coconut milk (400 g) (1 can), stir all the ingredients together until well mixed. Bring back to a very gentle simmer, put the lid on the pan and leave it to bubble away for 35–40 minutes until thickened, stirring every now and then to make sure the daal doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan. Start 40m timer

While the daal is cooking, return to the roti: Take the dough out of the bowl and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Place the pieces of [dough] on a chopping board and cover with the oiled cling film. Dust a clean surface with [self raising flour], take a piece of [dough] and roll it out into a neat, flat circle, as thin as you can get it. Repeat with the remaining pieces. Put the frying pan over a high heat until very hot. Pour vegetable oil for frying (1 tbsp) into the pan and swish it around to coat the base. Place a [roti] in the pan and cook until it starts to bubble, then flip it over and fry the other side for another 1 minute. Transfer to a plate and repeat to cook all the [roti]. Start 1m timer

Finish cooking the daal and serve: Once your [daal] is cooked, take the lid off the pan, taste it and season as necessary. If the lentils have too much bite, stir in boiling water (75 ml) (optional), put the lid back on and simmer for a further 3–5 minutes. Stir in the roughly chopped [fresh coriander] leaves and serve immediately with the [roti]. Start 5m timer