One-pot red lentil dal for one: a mug of lentils, one burner and 30 cm of counter
Soften half an onion in a tablespoon of oil, stir in garlic, ginger and a teaspoon of curry powder for a minute, then add 75 g of rinsed red lentils, a big mug of water (about 300 ml) and half a stock cube. Put the lid half on and walk away for 20 minutes while the lentils fall apart all by themselves. A handful of spinach and a squeeze of lemon at the end, and that is dinner: one pot, one board, about 30 minutes, and most of it is the pot doing the work while you sit under a blanket.
1 serving · 1 burner · 30 cm of counter · about 30 min
The order: what comes out when
With one free surface you cannot take everything out at once. Each line is one round: out of the fridge or cupboard, onto the board, into the pan, and the counter is free again.
- Out: pan, oil, onion, board, knife → Board: Dice half a small onion. Wrap the other half and put it back. → Pan: oil, onion (5 min)
- Out: garlic, ginger, lemon, curry powder, egg cup → Board: Grate or finely chop the garlic and ginger, then cut one lemon wedge and put it in the egg cup. → Pan: garlic, ginger, curry powder → Waits: lemon wedge in the egg cup on the windowsill (2 min)
- Out: red lentils, mug, stock cube → Pan: red lentils, 300 ml water, 1/2 stock cube (20 min)
- Out: spinach → Pan: spinach (2 min)
- Out: yogurt, chilli flakes → Pan: lemon juice (1 min)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil · cupboard
- 1/2 small onion, diced onion · cupboard
- 1 clove, grated or finely chopped garlic · cupboard
- 2 cm piece, grated (or 1/2 tsp ground ginger) fresh ginger · fridge
- 1 tsp curry powder · cupboard
- 75 g (about 1/3 of a mug), rinsed red split lentils · cupboard
- 300 ml (one big mug), plus a splash if it gets too thick water · tap
- 1/2 cube vegetable stock cube · cupboard
- 1 handful (about 50 g fresh, or 2 frozen cubes) spinach, fresh or frozen · fridge or freezer
- 1 lemon wedge, 1 spoonful of yogurt (optional), chilli to taste lemon, plain yogurt, chilli flakes · fridge
Gear
- One burner: One hob ring or a plug-in single induction burner. Induction needs a pan with a magnetic base.
- One deep pan or small saucepan with a lid: About 24-26 cm (10 in) across, or a 1.5-2 litre saucepan. The lid sits half on while the lentils simmer, so the pot does not boil over or boil dry.
- One cutting board: About 30 x 20 cm. It holds half an onion, then a garlic clove, a thumb of ginger and a lemon wedge, then it is done for the night.
- One knife, one spoon, one mug, one egg cup or small bowl: The mug rinses the lentils and then measures the water. The egg cup holds the lemon wedge on the windowsill until the end.