Ottolenghi's Spiced Red Lentils

I just finished making this for dinner tonight and I do not think there'll be any left when my family arrives home.  Fantastic!  Sweet, sour, salty...  Takes lentils to a whole new place.  It's like a thick soup or stew and could be served with naan or rice.  I've made a few variations to the original recipe which is by London's Yotam Ottolenghi.  Try it!

Spiced Red Lentils


1 c split red lentils
1 1/2 c water
1 bunch fresh coriander
1 small onion, peeled

2 1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled 
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 mild green chilli (optional if you're serving to kids)
1½ tsp black mustard seeds (I used yellow because I didn't have black)
4 tbsp sunflower oil
1½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp paprika
10 curry leaves
1 large tin diced tomatoes, drained 
2 tsp sugar
½ tsp fenugreek (optional)
1 pinch asafoetida (optional)
Salt

150g Greek yogurt
75g finely diced cucumber
1½ tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp unsalted butter
1½ tbsp lime juice

Rinse lentils several times, drain and soak in water for 30 minutes. Cut the coriander bunch somewhere around its centre to get a leafy top half and a stem/root bottom half. Roughly chop the leaves. Put the stem half in the bowl of a food processor, add the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli - all roughly broken - and pulse a few times to chop up without turning into a paste.

Put the mustard seeds in a heavy-based pot and place over medium heat. When they begin to pop, add the onion mix and sunflower oil, stir and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Add the spices and curry leaves, and continue cooking and stirring for five minutes longer. Now add the lentils and their soaking water, the tomatoes, sugar, fenugreek, asafoetida and a pinch of salt. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the lentils are fully cooked.

Before serving, whisk together the yogurt, cucumber, oil and some salt. 

Stir into the lentils the butter, lime juice and chopped coriander leaves, taste and season generously with salt. Divide into bowls, spoon yogurt on top and garnish with coriander.