Phil Vikery’s cauliflower curry with lentils recipe

Phil Vickery's cauliflower curry with lentils is a mouthwatering vegan curry. It's a light and healthy mid-week meal the whole family can enjoy. As part of the ITV show Save Money Good Diet, Save Money Good Diet, Phil creates healthy versions the nation's favourite dishes while on a budget.

Phil Vickery's cauliflower curry with lentils is a light summer dish. It's not rich and spicy like a traditional curry, instead it's a fragrant and healthy alternative which can be served for a light lunch or dinner. Swapping out meat or chicken for roasted cauliflower coated in Indian spices is a great way to cut down on fat and calories, and still enjoy intense Indian flavours.  This delicious recipe only takes 20 minutes to prepare and you can even store some in a Tupperware to take to work the next day. It's a really filling dish packed full of protein and fibre - and, a great way to get the kids to eat some veggies. Phil says: ‘I will never go back to boiling cauliflower again, even for cauliflower cheese. The intense flavour you get when roasting is so much better and really makes the whole dish. Here, after roasting I spoon over curried lentils.’

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Ingredients

• 2 medium cauliflowers cut into small florets
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons fenugreek
• 8 cardamom pods, crushed
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 4 tablespoons any oil
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 2 x 400g cans cooked green lentils, drained
• 10g vegetable stock cube crumbled

Method

1. Place the cauliflower into a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the oil and turmeric with some salt and pepper. Pour over the cauliflower and mix really well. Place the cauliflower into a baking dish or tray and roast in the oven for 25-35 minutes, stirring occasionally: you want a really nice colour to the florets.
2. Meanwhile, dry-fry the spices in a frying pan over a, medium heat to release their flavour and roast slightly – do not burn.
3. Add the oil, onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, then add he lentils and just enough water to cover them. Add the stock cube, some ground pepper and a little salt, if needed. Mix well, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the mix thickens and reduces. I sometimes break it up a little with a potato masher to make the sauce slightly thicker.
4. Once the cauliflower is cooked, spoon into four deep bowls, then spoon over the curried lentils.