The Comfort of FOOD
By Eric (Discover English Teacher)
Food is something that we all love. Just thinking about it can make us excited and hungry. Food can be a great comfort – it makes us feel warm and satisfied, and it can remind us of family and the support of home. Sometimes a particular dish from our past is so tied to happy memories that a single spoon can erase whatever unhappiness had been weighing on us.
And in these difficult times of lockdown, cooking is one of the few pleasures available to us – and, of course the subsequent eating. Cooking can also be therapeutic, it’s a creative act that can calm and focus. It’s like meditation with a wooden spoon.
I thought I’d share one of my favourite comfort food recipes – it’s a sort of lentil dhal that my mother used to make. I have taken on the recipe and it has helped me through many a cold winter’s night. It’s very easy and very healthy and remarkably cheap, which is important if you’re on a tight budget.
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INGREDIENTS: It looks like a lot but it’s very simple.
- Dash of oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, diced
- An inch of ginger, diced
- 2 or more sliced chillies (I like spicy food, so I put in more but it’s up to you)
- 1 stick of celery, sliced
- 1 teaspoon of powdered tumeric (use fresh if you can find it)
- 1-2 teaspoons of ground cumin
- 1-2 teaspoons of ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon of ground cardamom
- 1 stick cinnamon
- Handful of curry leaves (dried or fresh)
- 2 cups of red lentils
- Can of diced tomatoes
- About 1 litre of water (or vegetable stock)
- Handful of chopped fresh coriander
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
METHOD:
- Heat a large saucepan.
- Dry fry the spices for about 1 minute.
- Add the oil.
- Add the onion, garlic, ginger, celery and chillies and sauté for a few minutes until the onion has softened.
- Add the lentils and the tomatoes and enough water so that the water reaches about two thumbs above the lentils.
- Stir in the curry leaves and the cinnamon.
- Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes, until lentils are soft.
Serve with rice and garnish with chopped coriander.
Season as desired.
It’s super easy.
What are your favourite recipes? Feel free to share them in the comments