Lentil curry

It's getting cold, I can still eat Indian food without getting heartburn (ahh but for how long? It's a game of Russian Roulette) and damn do I love some dhal-type lentil-type curry-type things.

I WOULD make naan if I thought about it that much in advance, and I probably WOULD use this recipe of Cat Beloverly's.
Mostly I just get busy with a packet of pappadums and spend half my time wishing I'd thought about naan that much in advance. The trouble with my meal plans is that it's a guide - there's no particular day set out, so I look at the five dinners and decide which one I want to make. At about 5pm. And I'm either too tired to bother with the handmaking of the naan, or there's no time to let the dough rest.

Well, no more. I'm bringing sexynaan back.

Wouldn't you love a hot, garlicky, soft and chewy bit of bread-type stuff to dip into that pot of spicy goodness? Of course you do. I'm an idiot. And that eggplant pickle you see on there was fricken delicious and I'm making that myself next time too.

This is one of those times when I post a recipe but I haven't made it in a while and the posting makes me want it and I'm hungry and it's almost lunchtime and there's no curry to be had and my panda gets exceedingly sad and I eat something because I'm hungry but it's not the same and I end up getting the ingredients on the way home and making it on the spot. And then wondering for hours later if it will give me heartburn.

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
10 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
1-2 teaspoons Gourmet Garden chilli
1-2 teaspoons Gourmet Garden ginger
1 cup red lentils

3 cups stock or water

salt
you can also throw some veg in if you're so inclined. I wasn't. Except for the cup of sliced mushrooms I added. Very optional, very delicious.
coriander for the top is pretty damn important.

Directions:

1. Saute the onion and garlic gently over a medium heat until translucent.
2. Add all the dry spices and fry 1 minute until their fragrance is released. Add the chilli and ginger.

3. Add the lentils and stock or water. You could also add veggies or a potato here - its up to you!

4. Simmer until the lentils are soft. Check for seasoning, you will need a lot less salt if you have used stock.

5. Serve with pappadums, plain yogurt and tons of eggplant pickle. Oh, just me? Ok...