Lentil Stew with Garlic Yoghurt

A delicious soupy stew to warm up your evening! This is really yummy served with boiled potatoes that go so well with the mint garnish and yoghurt topping, but also equally tasty with chewy sourdough toast.

2 Tbs olive oil
1 leek, white part only, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2tsp curry powder
1tsp ground cummin
1tsp garam masala
2 bay leaves
1 litre hot vegetable stock ('Beef style Massel' stock cubes work well in this recipe)
1 cup brown lentils
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
2 zucchini, cut in half lengthways and sliced
400g tin chopped tomatoes
200g broccoli, cut into small florets
1 carrot, small dice
1/2 cup peas
1 Tbs chopped mint
New potatoes or sourdough bread to serve

Spiced Yoghurt
1 cup thick plain yoghurt
1 Tbs chopped corriander
1 garlic clove
3 dashes Tobasco sauce

Heat the oil in a heavy based cassoulet pot. Add the leek and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes or until soft and lightly golden. Add the curry powder, cumin and garam masala and cook for 1 minute until lightly fragrant.
Add the stock, bay leaves, lentils and sweet potato. Bring to the boil then reduce heat to low and simmer until the lentils are tender about 10-15 minutes.
Get your potatoes cooking; if they are small just peel them and pop into a bowl covered with gladwrap and microwave for 10 minutes. Check with a fork to see if they need any further cooking after this time.
Add the zucchini, tomatoes, carrot, broccoli and 2 cups hot water and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the peas in the last 2-3 minutes and season.

To make the garlic yoghurt use the side of a large knife to mash the garlic clove by repeatedly pressing and smearing it on your chopping board until it is a puree. Then combine all the ingredients for the yoghurt and mix well. Garnish your soup with a big dollop of the yoghurt and some freshly chopped mint. Delicious!

Pumpkin Soup for Windy Days

Thank heavens the time for soups is here! This pumpkin soup is SO easy and really delicious that even your kids will ask for seconds. The addition of red lentils makes it a nutritious meal in itself too.

You might also be interested to know that this soup is great for calming Vata. What the hell am I talking about? Well, according to the ancient Indian doctrine of Ayurveda there are three doshas which pertain to everything - Vata (cold, airy, mobile), Pitta (hot, liquid, sharp), Kapha (dense, stable, oily). Keeping these doshas balanced is the key to a happy mind and body.

Cold Autumn winds easily exacerbate Vata resulting in mental overactivity, insomnia, dry skin and hair, sore throats, stinging eyes, coughs and general fatigue. So to combat these unpleasant symptoms try calming Vata with meditation (great free guided meditations at http://meditation.org.au), massage the feet and hands at bedtime with warming oils (sesame, rose, sweet orange are all good) try to eat routinely and swap salads for nourishing soups, stews, warm cereals and hot bread and butter. Oh, and enjoy this delicious creamy pumpkin soup spiced with ginger!

1/2 Butternut or Jap pumpkin, peeled and diced
1 brown onion, chopped
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced against the grain
1/2 cup red lentils
1 litre boiling water
2 vegetable stock cubes
400ml coconut cream

Put everything into a pot except the coconut cream and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the pumpkin and lentils are completely soft. Blitz with a blender stick then add the coconut cream.