Mama's Lentil Bake

A Simple lentil dish of cooked lentils baked with veg in the oven

I remember distinctly when I was younger that I would sometimes ask my mum “What’s for dinner?” and she would reply “Lentil Bake!” "Yuk!" I would say - I could not think of anything worse! Having learned over the years to fall in love with lentils and their endless diversity, I have rediscovered this dish and adapted a recipe my mum wrote down for me when I left home to go to university.

INGREEDIENTS

• 200g lentils

• 450ml water

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 3 gloves garlic, grated

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 1 tsp mustard seeds

• 3 or 4 mushrooms, finely chopped

• 1 carrot, grated

• 1 egg

• Salt, pepper and chilli flakes to season

METHOD

• Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees C

• Wash the lentils well and add them to the water in a pan. Cook until all the water has been absorbed (or according to the packet instructions)

• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan

• Add the onions and cook on a medium heat for 3 minutes

• Add the garlic and cook for another minute

• Add the mushrooms and cook until browned

• Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of chilli flakes

• Once the lentils are cooked, add to the pan with the grated carrot and the egg

• Mix everything well and press into a quiche or pie dish

• Cook in the oven for 30 minutes

If you’ve got some fresh herbs, tear them up and top with it before serving. Nice with a salad or a rich tomato sauce. Can be eaten hot or cold. Can be sliced and frozen for lunchboxes. You can make endless variations of this; Add whatever vegetables you have left over in the fridge. You can use little cubes of feta instead of grated cheese. You can leave out the egg and cheese to make it vegan. You can add a handful of nuts for extra crunch. Go wild! Be creative, but above all:

Enjoy! Joseph x