Suffolk rolls past the window. Fields and sky and buttercup studded meadows. The clouds are hemmed with pink and a line of cypress trees stand bold against a mottled sky, casting long shadows as dusk approaches. I’m travelling on a train from one home to the other now, wishing that I could stay in the calmer, brighter, greener one for a while longer.
I have a shorthand exam coming up this week (let’s not talk about it) so it was a slightly guilty weekend, but oh so good. I went to the beach, ate fish and chips and met up with friends who I haven’t seen in six years. I also realised that Norwich is beautiful – by the cathedral there’s a tangle of cobbled streets that give off a dusty golden glow in the early evening. Exactly what I like in a city.
The recipe I’m bringing you today has become a lunchtime staple. I tampered with a recipe for Moroccan lentil soup and came up with this mongrel – maybe with the cumin and piece of dark chocolate at the end it’s more Mexican, but either way, it’s delicious.
Lentil and Chickpea Stew
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large white onions, finely chopped
1 stick of celery, finely chopped
1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
250g/9oz green lentils
1 tin of chickpeas, drained
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 square dark chocolate
1 litre/1¾ pints hot chicken stock
A squeeze of lemon
2 handfuls of parsley leaves, finely chopped
1. Heat the oil in a stock pot and fry the onions, celery and pepper until translucent. Add the chilli and spices and cook for another two minutes. Then add the tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas and stock. Bring to the boil.
2. Either cover and cook on low for 40 minutes, topping up with water if needed, or transfer to a crockpot and cook on low for 5 hours/high for 3 hours.
3. At the end of the cooking time stir in the square of dark chocolate, lemon juice and parsley. Serve with thick yoghurt or creme fraiche.
To The Table 