Carrot and lentil pot

Ingredients

• Red lentils (dry)160g
• Carrots (raw)300g
• Onions (raw)100g
• Spinach (raw)100g
• Ground cumin (dry)2g
• Olive oil (raw)15ml
• Salt (dry)3g
• Black pepper (dry)1g
• Recipe water (raw)700ml

Method

1. Rinse 160g red lentils. Cut 300g carrots into 1cm cubes and 100g onions into 5mm dice. Warm 15ml olive oil in a pot over medium heat and soften the vegetables for 5 minutes. Stir in 2g ground cumin for 30 seconds until fragrant; lower heat if it smells toasted sharply.
2. Add the lentils, 700ml recipe water, 3g salt and 1g black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to low and partly cover for 20–30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until the carrots crush under a fork and the lentils are creamy. If it catches, lower the heat and add hot processing water in small amounts; record it.
3. Wash 100g spinach, remove tough stalk ends and roughly chop into 3cm strips. Stir into the hot lentil base and simmer for 2–3 minutes until wilted throughout.
4. Rest off the heat for 2 minutes. Stir once and divide between bowls; loosen with a small splash of hot processing water if it thickens while standing.
5. The displayed quantities already match your selected servings. For 1 serving use a small covered pot and check liquid early; for 2 use the stated method. For 4 or 8 use the planned pot-capacity batches and divide every ingredient proportionally. Keep each pot below 80% full. Maintain a gentle simmer and judge each batch by texture, not by multiplying the cooking time. Serve promptly. Cool any extra cooked food in shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours, or one hour above 32°C. Keep the fridge at 4°C or below. Reheat cooked leftovers evenly to 74°C, checking several places with a food thermometer. Keep raw garnishes and cold yogurt or tahini sauces separate and use them cold within their label limits.