Ingredients:
3 medium carrots
2 medium parsnips
2 small sweet potatoes
½ small winter squash/pumpkin
a few sprigs of thyme
salt
3 tablespoons of coconut oil divided
2 teaspoons of ground cumin seeds
1-2 teaspoons of ground cardamom pods
1 tablespoon of turmeric powder
a large pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon of chopped ginger root
1 small red chilli pepper (sliced)
2 large yellow onions
¾ of a cup of red rice such as Ruby Red or Bhutan (alternatively brown rice)
½ cup of green lentils (preferably soaked)
1 400ml can of Thai coconut milk
1-2 small limes zest and juice (more for serving)
4 packed cups of chopped spinach
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Peel and chop vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Toss them in a bowl or right on the baking tray with 1 tablespoon coconut oil and thyme leaves, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in a single layer for 20-30 minutes, stirring at halftime, until soft and caramelized.
2. Meanwhile, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add spices, ginger, and chilli if using, and stir around for about a minute, until fragrant. Add onion and sauté for about 7 minutes, until translucent.
3. Add rice, and a big pinch of salt, and stir to mix. Add 4 cups of water. Increase the heat, bring to a boil and decrease to a light simmer. Cook, covered, for 15 minutes.
4. Drain and rinse lentils and add them to the pot with rice with a pinch of salt. Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes. Test lentils for doneness, if you did not soak your lentils, they might need to be cooked a little longer, cover and simmer for another couple of minutes until lentils are cooked. Add roasted vegetables, coconut milk, zest and juice of a lime and another pinch of salt. Stir to mix and let simmer for a couple of minutes for flavours to mingle.
5. Remove from heat and stir in spinach to wilt. Taste for salt and pepper, adjust as needed. Serve immediately with more lime juice squeezed over.
Recipe by: Melanie Battershell