Ingredients:

• 1 tsp groundnut oil (or vegetable oil or sunflower oil)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 150g celery (approx 3 medium stalks) trimmed and finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed/finely chopped/whatever
• 30g ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 4 tsp coriander seeds
• 4 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp tumeric
• 2 tsp dried coriander leaf
• 200g split red lentils (the ‘no need to soak’ variety)
• 600ml vegetable stock (600ml water w/ 2 tsp bouillon powder)
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp tomato puree
• 1-2 red chillis, seeds in, finely chopped (vary to taste!)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 250g spinach leaves (washed, but otherwise unprepared)
• pinch salt
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder / pinch of cayenne pepper (to taste)

Sweat off the onion and celery in oil heated in a medium-large saucepan for about 5-10minutes. Add the ginger and garlic about half way through. While the onion and celery is sweating, toast off the coriander seeds and cumin seeds in a dry frying pan for 1-2 minutes (until the seeds just start to smoke!) Grind the seeds and add to the pan, with the turmeric, garam masala, and coriander leaf and season with freshly ground black pepper. Add the lentils, stock, tomatoes, and stir in the tomato puree, chopped chilli and sugar. Allow the lentils to cook on a low heat for 20-30 minutes, keeping an eye on the water (if it gets too dry, add some more – but be careful not to add too much as there will be liquid to come out of the raw spinach). Add the spinach a bit at a time, so as to not swamp the pan, and a largish pinch of salt if needed. Taste the sauce, and if it’s too mild, add a small mix of chilli powder and cayenne pepper. Cook for a further 10 minutes or until the lentils have become soft and the spinach has wilted. Best served with rice or naan bread.

Makes 4 decent sized portions, each weighing in at around 260 calories (not including the rice, naan, or whatever).