Reading two books in quick succession set in India (The White Tiger) and Pakistan (Three Cups of Tea) has not been good for me.  At every mention of chapatti or dhal my mouth waters and my stomach grumbles loudly.  Indian food is just heavenly, and I love to eat it in abundance.  Every Indian meal must consist of samosas, pakora and poppadoms, followed by curry with both rice and naan, all washed down with a mango lassi or two, and, let’s face it, ice cream to put out the fire in my mouth.  But here at least is a healthier, every day option, which fits perfectly into vegan week too.

Sweet Potato, Spinach & Lentil Dahl

Serves 4, from BBC GoodFood

Ingredients:

100g red lentils

500ml vegetable stock

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into chunks

80g spinach

Method:

1.  Put the lentils, stock, onion, tomatoes and spices into a pan, bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Stir it frequently, so nothing catches on the bottom.

2.  Add the chunks of sweet potato and cook for 10 minutes more.

3.  Throw in the spinach, and stir it through for a minute or so until wilted.

4.  Season and serve!  Astonishingly easy.