Red Lentil Stew

Finely chop the onion, carrot and celery. Pour 50 ml water (1/4 cup) into a saucepan and add the ginger and black cumin oils and chopped vegetables.

Heat and, when the water boils, cover and cook the vegetables over medium heat until the liquid evaporates. Meanwhile, rinse the lentils thoroughly, add to the vegetables and pour in 1 litre hot water.

Add the paprika and finely chopped garlic. Cover and cook for about 15–20 minutes.

Once the lentils are cooked, add the finely chopped tomatoes, spearmint, oregano and lemon juice. Season with salt and cook for another 3–4 minutes.

Mix the starch thoroughly with 5–6 tbsp cold water and add to the hot stew. Once it comes to the boil, it is ready to serve.

Note: replace the ginger and black cumin oils with 1/4 tsp dried ginger or 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger root, and 1/2 tsp cumin. Olive oil or sunflower oil can be used as the cooking fat.