Katie Brown
Tarka Dahl & Tandoori Chicken “Fakeaway”
This week, I’m thrilled to be hosting someone new – This couldn’t come at a better time, as the colder months mean that I find myself craving a more heartwarming evening meal.
Please let me introduce, Sally…
Tarka Dahl & Tandoori Chicken “Fakeaway” – With Life Loving
Hello all! I’m Sally and I blog over at Life Loving. My blog is my way to inspire others to enjoy life more. I live by the motto ‘ketchup tomorrow, relish today’. The amazing Katie has kindly let me put together a guest post with one of my favourite dishes. It’s perfect for a Saturday night ‘fakeaway’. It’s cheaper and healthier to make your own takeaway, and probably will end up saving you time.
Tarka Dahl – serves 4
Red lentils are a great source of protein so perfect if your body is recovering from a grueling workout. They are also a smart choice, as they are a sustainable food source.
Ingredients
320g red lentils
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsps butter
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic
2 hot chillies
½ tin tomatoes (200g)
2 tsps cumin
2 tsps garam masala
Instructions
Pop the lentils in pan and cover them completely with cold water.
Heat through and allow them to come to the boil for about 10 minutes. You will find a foam appear on the surface, spoon this off during this time.
Add the turmeric and 1 tsp of butter, then allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
During this time, add the butter to a frying pan and add the chopped onion, chillies and half of the garlic.
Once the onion has gone soft, stir in the tomatoes, cumin and garam masala and warm through.
Add this to the lentils. You’ll know when the lentils are ready, as they will have the consistency of porridge.
Finally, stir through the remaining garlic.
Tandoori Chicken – serves 4
The spice on the chicken works perfectly in combination with the tarka dahl. I cook both and serve each plate with a naan.
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts
4 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp salt
4 tbsp natural yoghurt
2 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp cumin
2 – 4 fresh chillies
2 finger sized pieces of fresh root ginger
4 cloves of garlic
Instructions
Cut across the chicken breasts
In a bowl, combine the lemon juice and 1 tsp salt. Add the chicken and leave to marinade for 10 minutes.
Finely chop the ginger, garlic and fresh chillies and then crush this into a paste. Mix with the remaining salt, natural yoghurt, chilli powder, garam masala and cumin. Add the chicken and mix well. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to marinade overnight.
When you are ready to cook, place the chicken on a baking try and spoon over the remaining mixture. Cook for 25 – 30 minutes at 180 degrees or 170 for a fan assisted oven. Ensure the chicken is cooked through before serving.
The spice on the chicken works perfectly in combination with the tarka dahl. I cook both and serve each plate with a naan.

I hope this has inspired you to cook up a storm this coming weekend. For more fakeaway recipes you can follow me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
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Thanks so much for this delicious recipe, I do hope that you’ll all follow the lovely Sally!
Katie
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