This weekend I was in Spitalfields & Shoreditch, London E1  with its vibrant atmosphere combining great food & street art. Brick Lane, famous for its curry mile is now a cornucopia of food with everything from Thai, French, Argentinian, Scandinavian, artisan chocolates & coffee, a cereal cafe, as well as the traditional Bangladeshi & Indian food &  Beigal Bake. I was inspired by #NationalVegetarianWeek and #RealBreadWeek to share two of my favourite Indian dishes.

Ingredients for Tarka Dal  Serves 4

Tarka Dal Ingredients

• 200g (7 oz) chana dal (yellow split peas)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 green chillies, 2 chopped, 2 whole
• 3 small tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
• 2 cm (3/4 inch) fresh ginger, peeled & sliced
• large bunch fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  

  Onions & Spices Cooking

   

• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground sea salt

Method

• Soak the dal in a bowl of cold water for 1 hour, drain & rinse several times in cold water
• Put the dal in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil, skimming any scum  that appears on the surface
• Add the chopped tomatoes & chillies, garlic, ginger, turmeric, pinch of sea salt
• Turn the heat down to low, cook for about 1 to 1.5 hours until soft, stirring occasionally
• Add the  2 whole chillies, salt to taste and simmer for a further 10 minutes
• 

  Dal simmering away

  Heat the oil or ghee on a medium high heat, add the cumin , mustard seeds &  dried chilli and  fry for a few seconds until they pop

• Add the chopped onions, ground coriander and cook for 5 minutes until soft & golden
• Stir into the dal and serve topped with the chopped fresh coriander

Ingredients for Naan Bread  Makes 8-10 small Naan

• 300g ( 10.5 oz) strong white bread flour, plus extra to dust
  

  Dough during proving

• 1 1/2 teaspoons fast action dried yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 150 ml (5 fl oz) warm water
• 5 tablespoon natural yoghurt
•  1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons melted butter or ghee, plus some extra to brush
• 1 teaspoon nigella ( black onion seeds)

Method

•  Add the yeast, sugar and 2 tablespoons of warm water to a bowl and stir well
  

  Dough Proved

• Leave until yeast is activated and starts to froth
• Add the yoghurt to the yeast mixture
• Add the flour and salt to a large bowl, make a well in the centre and add the yeast & yoghurt mixture and melted butter or ghee
• Mix then gradually add the water until a soft sticky dough forms
• Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about five minutes
• Don’t worry if initially sticky it will become smoother with kneading
• Place dough in a large lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, then cover with cling film (saran wrap)
• Leave dough in a warm draught free place ( I put mine in an unlit oven) to prove for 1 1/2- 2 hours until doubled in size
• Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and throw down a few times to knock the air out
• 

  Dough balls ready to roll out

  Divide into 8 to 10 balls

• Heat a large frying pan over a high heat for 5 minutes and heat the oven to 150 degrees C (300 F)
• Flatten the dough ball into a flat circle, slightly thicker around the edge
• Pick up at one end to stretch into a slight teardrop shape and sprinkle a few nigella seeds  and pat so they stick into the surface
•  Cook for about 30-40 seconds until the surface starts to bubble then turn over and cook the other side
  

  Naan Cooking

• Brush with melted butter or ghee and put in the oven to keep warm

Repeat with the remaining dough balls until you have a pile of naan.

Serve with the tarka dal for an Indian veggie favourite.

Tarka Dahl – ready to eat

Naan bread freshly baked