Pulse medley, spinach and potato curry

This is another excellent dish to prepare when you have a family member who isn’t keen on vegetables – the emerald green of the spinach looks beautiful and is very palatable to fussy eaters and the mix of pulses is creamy and irresistible. Serve with rice, poppadums or naan bread – or all of them - to make yourself popular with the kids! With the spinach mixed into the curry you can feel virtuous – no need to cook more veg if you are in a hurry. Your meal is already pretty balanced!

Ingredients                                             

  • Fresh spinach leaves
  • New potatoes
  • 1 finely chopped onion
  • Tinned chickpeas
  • Green lentils
  • Mung beans
  • Tinned coconut milk or creamed coconut
  • Cumin seeds
  • Mustard seeds
  • Ground coriander
  • Cloves
  • Cardamom pods
  • Coconut oil to cook  

Step 1

Remember to soak the mung beans overnight before your batch cook.

Step 2

Heat up a large pot of water and cook your new potatoes

Step 4

Whilst the potatoes are simmering, heat some coconut oil in the bottom of a large heavy-based saucepan and gently cook the chopped onion.

Step 5

When the onion is soft and translucent add in a good sprinkling of mustard and cumin seeds, cardamom pods and cloves and cook along with the onions.

Step 6

Add the green lentils and the drained mung beans to the saucepan, stirring with a wooden spoon until everything is well coated with the coconut oil, spices and onion. The lentils will change colour slightly, browning.

Step 7

Now add water and a generous amount of the tinned coconut milk, including the thick creamy part. Mix well and let everything simmer, adding water as and when it is absorbed by the cooking lentils and mung beans.

Step 8

The lentils will be soft when cooked and the mung beans will be deliciously creamy. It will then be time to throw in the chickpeas and the drained, cooked potatoes, mixing well. Allow everything to cook over a gentle flame so that the flavours deepen and infuse all the ingredients.

Step 9

Given the nature of batch cooks, the meal will be reheated on the day of serving. This is the moment when the spinach gets added. Heat your pulse medley curry in a pot whilst in another saucepan you wilt the fresh spinach leaves along with some coconut oil and salt. Don’t cover the spinach whilst wilting it or you will end up with a wet slop!

Step 10

Once the curry is piping hot, stir in your wilted spinach without overdoing the mixing, so as to retain its vivid green colour.  

I suggest spinach here because I know that fussy eaters find it palatable – in other words not strong flavoured – but feel free to give other greens a go. Curly kale or spring greens would work well although nothing beats the colour of wilted spinach!