New Potato and Red Lentil Curry

I'm often asked for quick and easy supper dishes and I find one of the most simple... but tasty ..can be a curry. However I would say that the matching of the ingredients needs to have some thought and not just be a random compilation of what is hidding in your vegetable cupboard. I've been through a phase of butternut squash and chickpeas recently (with a touch of coconut) but this is my current favourite. It's not necessary to make your own paste from scratch - I generally favour Pataks. If you're going to use something processed it might as well be good quality and full of flavour.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, finely sliced

4 or 5 new potatoes cut into large chunks

2 carrots cut into chunks at least half that size

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 tsp grated ginger

1 cup (about a small teacup) red lentils

1-2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves

2 tsp korma paste

500ml light vegetable stock

1/3 to ½ can of chopped tomatoes

Couple of handfuls of spinach

Serves 2-3 depending on appetite

Sauté the onion until soft and then add the potatoes and carrots, stir well and add the garlic and ginger and cook for another couple of minutes. Finally stir in the lentils and fenugreek leaves (these add a nice subtle edge - you could use curry leaves instead).

Add the curry paste and make sure it coats the vegetable mixture relatively evenly. Cook for a few minutes and then pour in the stock so it just covers the veg. Then pour in the tomatoes, bring to the boil and simmer on a low heat, covered for 30 minutes until potatoes and carrots are tender. Pop the spinach in to wilt a few minutes before serving.

I said it was simple.