Two days before you want to make this dish, soak:
1/2 c dried green lentils in water overnight

Next morning drain the lentils through a sieve. Cover the sieve with a tea towel and rinse the beans again at night, then again in the morning until they start to sprout. They are now ready to use.

ONION KULCHA
Makes 8

Make the dough first so it can rest while the curry is cooking. In a medium sized mixing bowl add:
2 c flour (naan flour is good but any will do)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix together with a bread and butter knife, then have ready:
2 tablespoons melted ghee or coconut oil
3/4 c milk

Gradually add the liquids to the bowl until it forms lumps that stick together. Note: you may not need all the milk. Tip the dough out on to a floured bench and knead until it has formed a smooth ball. Tip the bowl upside down over it and leave it to rest. Prepare the following:
1 onion, finely sliced
300g paneer or Easy Cheese, crumbled (optional)
4 tablespoons melted ghee or coconut oil

Heat a hotplate, or barbeque, cast iron pan or griddle. Dust your bench and rolling pin with flour. Cut the dough into eight pieces and shape each piece gently into rounds. Using your fingers push each piece out to about 10cm.

Place a spoon of cheese and a pinch of onion to the centre of each round. Pull in the edges all the way around so it comes together with no gaps. Pinch together and push down gently to flatten a little. Roll the parcel gently and as flat as you can without the filling bursting out, about 15 cm.

When the hot plate is smoking put oil or ghee on and immediately add the kulcha, four at a time if space allows. Cook for one or two minutes until they are bubbled and golden on top. Add another 2 tablespoons of fat to the pan and flip. Cook for another one or two minutes. Transfer to a tea towel on a cooling rack.

CURRY
Gather your ingredients and prepare the following:
1 aubergine, cubed, placed in a colander and sprinkled with 1 tablespoon salt

Leave the colander in the sink while you prepare:
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 orange capsicum, cored, deseeded and diced
2 sweetcorn cobs, kernels only
5 large tomatoes, grated into a bowl, skins discarded, or 400ml passata or canned

Toast the following seeds together, shaking the pan as they cook, until they become fragrant.
1 tablespoon cumin seed
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

Cool slightly then grind to a fine powder. Place a heavy based pan over high heat and add:
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds

Dry fry the seeds until they pop, shaking the pan to toast them evenly. As soon as they start popping add:
1/4 c coconut oil
1 onion, diced

Fry together for a couple of minutes, then add the ground spice mix and the cubed aubergine, patted dry with a tea towel. Fry for another couple of minutes then add:
1 tablespoon turmeric, fresh finely grated, or powder
2 cloves garlic, sliced

Stir well, then add:
prepared tomato
200ml water
2 tablespoons tamarind paste
1 tablespoon curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Simmer the mixture for about 15 minutes until the aubergine starts to breakdown a bit. Add 1/4 c of water if it’s getting dry. Lastly add:
2 sweetcorn cobs, kernels only

Mix through, remove from the heat and top with:
fresh coriander or curry herb leaves
the sprouted lentils

Serve with steamed brown basmati rice, onion kulcha and lime pickle.

This recipe is provided courtesy of The Veggie Tree. You can purchase The Veggie Tree’s cookbooks here: https://www.theveggietree.com/shop