Cauliflower topped Puy Lentil Pie

Name: Cauliflower topped Puy Lentil Pie
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: European, British
Ingredients: olive oil; 2 tablespoons mustard seeds about; 20 curry leaves, Fresh if possible; 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, bashed; 1 tablespoon coriander seeds ’; 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced; 1 a thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped; 1 x 400g tin of Puy lentils, : drained (or 250g Homer cooked, see page 461); 1 x 400g tin of tomatoes; 1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder or V2 a stock cube; 2 pitted dates (I use Medjool); 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped; juice of 1 unwaxed lemon; 2 medium cauliflowers (about 1kg with leaves removed); 1 tablespoon coconut or olive oil

8 steps

Prep:15min

I made this pie after a bracing walk on a wintry Welsh beach, a long stretch of sand lined with pines on one side and tempting glistening sea on the other. Icy cold, we dipped our toes in then ran to the car. On the drive home I became fixated on pie and an hour or so later we were eating a comforting crust of mashed cauliflower on top of a rich lentil ragu, cooked until the lentils were almost soft. lts warmth spread all the way to our feet. I use cauliflower but you could also use potato or a mix of roots.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 03:47:50 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Great

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories516 kcal (26%)

Total Fat12.2 g (17%)

Carbs78.5 g (30%)

Sugars18.2 g (20%)

Protein32.9 g (66%)

Sodium345 mg (17%)

Fiber19.3 g (69%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

4 servings

olive oil

2 tablespoonsmustard seeds

peeled and finely chopped

1onion

finely chopped

1 tablespooncumin seeds

bashed

1 tablespooncoriander seeds

2 clovesgarlic

peeled and finely sliced

1 pieceginger

thumb-sized, peeled and finely chopped

1 x 400gPuy lentils

drained

1 x 400gtin of tomatoes

1 teaspoonvegetable stock powder

1 tablespooncoconut oil

or olive

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 220°C/2000C fan/gas 7.

Step 2

Put a good glug of oil into a large, heavy pan. Get it nice and hot, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves and cook until the seeds pop. Take the pan off the heat, reserve half the seeds and leaves, then put the pan with the remaining mixture back on the heat.

Step 3

Add the carrots and onion to the pan and cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until soft, sweet and nicely browned. Add the cumin, coriander, garlic and ginger and cook for 3—4 minutes, to toast the Spices and allow the garlic and ginger to release their oils. Take care that the garlic doesn’t burn.

Step 4

Add the lentils, tomatoes, stock and half a tin of boiling water.

Step 5

Roughly chop the dates and add them to the pan with the chilli and the zest of half the lemon. Season with salt and simmer on a medium heat for 15-20 minutes, or until thick, rich and flavourful.

Step 6

Meanwhile, make the mash. Break the cauliflower into florets, slice the stalk and put the lot into a lidded pan with about 2cm of boiling water. Put on a high heat and steam until tender. Drain, put back in the pan and put over the heat for a minute to dry out the cauliflower.

Step 7

Allow it to cool a little, then blitz in a food processor with the coconut oil and a big pinch of salt. When you have a silky smooth mash, fold in the reserved mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Step 8

Once the lentils are ready, add the lemon juice and mix well. .Spoon into an ovenproof dish, top with the mash and bake for 20 minutes: or until golden and bubbling.