I've already told you about the range of Ainsley Harriott World Kitchen products that we received to review and shared our review of the Couscous sachets (here). This time I decided to try out the Lentil Dahl. Although I've heard of it and I've often eaten lentils, it's a dish I've never tried before so I was keen to see how it would turn out.
The outer packaging contains two sachets, one for the lentils and the other for the spices. I hate unnecessary excess packaging and I have to admit, I thought that this was a bit of a waste as the first thing you do is throw the contents of both sachets into the saucepan with some water. I suppose this does give you the option of adjusting the spices to suit your tastes though.
The big sachet contains a mixture of lentils. Ainsley explains (on the packaging) : "Lentil Dahl has always been a firm favourite in Indian cuisine. My twist on this classic dish combines a blend of red and brown lentils with a little Basmati rice. This delivers not only delicious flavours but high protein and fibre content to your meal."
The spice mix is a blend of tomato powder, garlic, garam masala (coriander, cinnamon, garlic, pimento, cardamon, cumin, black pepper, ginger, turmeric, cloves, Cayenne pepper), mustard seeds, chilli powder and turmeric. You need to add 500ml cold water, stir and bring to the boil. I have to say, at this stage it doesn't look particularly appetising and Sophie even pointed out that it looked like dog sick !! Thanks for that !!
Luckily, ten minutes later, when the water has all been absorbed and it's thickened, it looks a lot better though. It smells wonderfully spiced but is not overpowering, so it won't kill the taste of whatever you're serving with it. I ate some with chicken and finished off the leftovers with grilled lime-infused salmon and it worked well with both.
I found it slightly too mushy so I would reduce the cooking time slightly next time so that the lentils stay a bit firmer and tooth-tender. The flavour is lovely though and not too spicy, so even the kids gave it a try. The pack contains enough for 2 big servings (I would say three) and half a pack contains 240 calories, 17.8g of protein, 1.1g of fat and 8.5g of fibre. It's suitable for vegetarians and would make a complete dish that you could serve with rice so it's ideal as a store cupboard standby in case you need a vegetarian option in a rush. Non-vegetarians will find it satisfying too though, so it's great as a quick-fix dinner option when you're short on time.
star rating : 4.5/5
RRP : £1.39 for 150g
for more information : http://www.ainsley-harriott.com/products/ranges/amazing-grains/15/lentil-dahl-
Disclosure : I received a selection of Ainsley Harriott World Kitchen products in order to write an honest review.
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Ooo, this looks really good, and easy to make too. Will definitely be giving this a try.
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