CROCKPOT DAL

We are eating sleeping and existing in the living room for a couple weeks now, preparing to tile the bedroom floor. Feeling somewhat recovered we prepare to start, when my spouse notices a crack in the concrete floor, running the breadth of the room, all the way into the carpeted closet. So, yet another delay.
While still feeling logey the other day, I pull out my slow-cooker, and after some preliminary frying; I dump a bag of plain lentils in the pot and slow cook them for 6 hours. I check it and add a half a box of frozen spinach and cook another hour. It is so good and simple to do, and thrifty as well. If you are harried or hurried, but want good tasting groceries, try this delicious dish. Just a few minutes at the stove, then the crockpot takes over. While it is cooking you can be doing something else. These lovely lentils go good over steamed rice, or cornbread, or toasts.


CROCKPOT DAL

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (coconut oil is good, or anything else you have on hand)
1 ½ cups of chopped onion

3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons gingerroot, minced

1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups of vegetable stock, or chicken or beef broth, or any combination you like
Half a can (3 ounces) tomato paste
2 cups lentils (the regular brown -coloured ones are fine)

1 stick of cinnamon
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon salt

1 can of coconut milk
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Half a 10 ounce box of chopped spinach


Fry onion in oil in a large pot or dutch oven until soft. Then add the garlic and gingerroot and fry till onion browns.





Add the four spices, stirring well.

Add the stock, tomato and lentils and bring to a boil.

Transfer to crockpot and add the cinnamon and bay leaf.

Cook on “low” setting 6 to 8 hours.

½ hour prior to serving, add the coconut milk, cayenne pepper and 5 ounces of chopped spinach. Stir well and re-cover crockpot. Thirty minutes later it’s ready to eat. Enjoy.