Recipe to beat high blood pressure: spicy lentils with potatoes and cauliflower

This is an Indian-style curry dish called dal, made even more interesting with vegetables and chutney. Don't let the ingredient list deter you; the mildly spicy sauce is delicious.

Preparation time: 25 minutes 

Cooking time: about 55 minutes

Serves 4

Dal

• 30 ml (2 tbsp) canola oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) finely chopped fresh ginger
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) mild curry paste
• 250 g (1 c) red lentils
• 5 ml (1 tsp) ground cumin
• 5 ml (1 tsp) turmeric
• 500g (1 lb) small new potatoes
• 1 small cauliflower, broken into florets
• 1 red pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 4 tomatoes, skinned and quartered
• 500 g (2 c) baby spinach leaves
• Handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Chutney

• 3 carrots, coarsely grated
• 1 green chili, seeded and finely chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) chopped fresh cilantro

Raita

• 2 firm bananas
• 250 ml (1 c) plain low-fat yogurt
• 50 g (1/4 c) sliced almonds

1.  Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and stir for a further 2 minutes.
2. Stir in the lentils, cumin, turmeric and 750 millilitres (3 cups) water. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Stir in halved potatoes and cook for 10 minutes, then add the cauliflower and cook for another 10 minutes. Add the pepper and tomatoes, and simmer for 5 minutes.
3.  Meanwhile, prepare the side dishes. Mix together the carrots, chili, lime juice and cilantro for the chutney. Transfer to a serving dish. Now make the raita. Toast the almonds. Slice the bananas into a serving bowl. Stir in the yogurt and sprinkle with the almonds.
4.  Stir the spinach into the curry and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and serve with the chutney and raita.

• The vegetables can be varied according to whatever is available. Try chunks of zucchini and eggplant with, or instead of, the cauliflower, or small whole okra or cut green beans with the tomatoes.
• Additional beans can be added. Black-eyed peas and chickpeas are particularly good. If using dried beans, soak them overnight, then drain and cook them in boiling water until almost tender, 45 to 60 minutes, before adding them to the curry. Canned beans, well drained, should be added towards the end of the cooking time.

• This curry is full of vegetables. Together with the lentils, they provide valuable dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals.
• Uncooked accompaniments, like the chutney and raita, boost the vitamin content of a meal as well as providing a variety of complementary textures and flavours.

Key nutrients: 530 calories, 110 calories from fat, 13 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 23 g protein, 90 g carb, 19 g fibre, 130 mg sodium.

Blood pressure nutrients: 188 mg Vitamin C, 130 mg magnesium, 2193 mg potassium, 266 mg calcium.