Turn the nightmare of leftover veggies into a delicious dish (without any drama)
Got some leftover vegetables you don’t know what to do with? Want to use up a load of veggies to make a delicious, warming meal on the cheap? Want something that will give you 3 of your 5-a-day in one portion and make you feel like a superhuman? Don’t worry dhaling, you’ve come to the right place.
See below for a base method for a classic dhal recipe, and a list of veg that will go well in it and some that probably won’t. If you have a go and disagree with either list, please share your thoughts on the Instagram post.
Serves 3 or 4, depending on how many vegetables you have.
Base ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1-inch knob of ginger, finely chopped (you can leave the skin on)
- 2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (you can’t leave the skin on)
- 1 chilli (or to taste), finely chopped
- 1 tsp each of cumin, coriander, turmeric and garam masala
- 200g red lentils
- 1 litre vegetable stock (see here to make your own from scraps)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- No more than 300g leftover vegetables of choice, chopped into small chunks
| Vegetables that will go well | Vegetables that won’t go well |
| Potatoes | Mushrooms |
| Squash | Peppers |
| Cauliflower | Parsnips |
| Broccoli (including stalks) | Turnips |
| Tomatoes | Swede |
| Carrots | Sweetcorn |
| Spinach | Peas |
| Aubergine | Cabbage |
Method
1. Fry onion in the oil, add garlic, ginger and chillies after 5 minutes.
2. Add spices, salt and pepper and stir well.
3. Add your vegetables and stir well.
4. Add the lentils and stock, and stir well.
5. Allow to simmer and stir occasionally until the lentils have absorbed the water and have become nice and mushy (around 20-30 mins).
Eat on its own or with naan, curry, bhajis or other bits and pieces.
FOOD WASTE STORIES 