I’m a huge fan of spicy food, so the idea that it can also help with weight-loss and improve overall wellbeing is music to my ears!
Kalpna Woolf’s brand new cookbook, Spice Yourself Slim, is full of tasty, healthy recipes and meal plans. Unlike many fad diets, the concept of using spices to lose weight has strong foundations in centuries-old traditions.
To whet your appetite, Kalpna is sharing her oh-so-tasty recipe for cumin-infused candy beetroot and puy lentil salad below. I also excitingly have a copy of her book up for grabs for one lucky Honest Mum reader! You can enter at the end of this post.
Over to Kalpna…
A salad to feast your eyes and your taste buds – beautiful crispy, sweet rounds of candy beetroot, and soft spiced Puy lentils all topped with an aromatic roasted cumin creamy topping. Nutritious protein-filled lentils, balanced with potassium, magnesium and iron-rich beetroot combined with digestion-calming cumin, this is a perfect energising dish. I have also included a spice called amchoor, which is dried mango powder and has a tart taste, but if you can’t find this, then add a tablespoon of lemon juice.
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Calories per serving: 361
- 125g/4½oz/½ cup Puy lentils
- 1.5 litres/2½ pints/6¹⁄³ cups hot water
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp chilli (red pepper) flakes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ small red onion, peeled and finely diced
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
- 10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- ¼ tsp salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp amchoor powder or 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt
- ¼ small cucumber, finely diced
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- a large handful of rocket (arugula)
- 2 small candy beetroots or 2 cooked beetroots (without vinegar), sliced into thin rounds or thin strips
Method
- Put the Puy lentils into a medium pan and pour in the hot water. Bring to the boil and add ¼ teaspoon salt and the chilli flakes.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15–20 minutes until the lentils are cooked (not too soft and they should retain their shape).
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and cook for 1–2 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, and gently sauté until soft. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.
- When the lentils are ready, drain and combine them with the onions and tomatoes and mix thoroughly. (If the lentils are not ready, take the tomato mixture off the heat.)
- Check the seasoning and stir in the amchoor powder or 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Set aside until the lentils are cool.
- Gently whisk the yogurt in a bowl then mix in the cucumber and ground cumin.
- Arrange the rocket leaves on a plate and pour over the lentils. Lay the beetroot slices over the top and drizzle over the yogurt mixture. Enjoy!
Tip
This lentil mixture is a good base for lots of salads and will keep for 3–4 days in a refrigerator, so you can make this the day before if wished. Do make a bit extra to add to another salad later in the week. Just double the quantities for four people.
Spice Yourself Slim By Kalpna Woolf is published by Pavilion Books. Images by Clare Winfield.
To win a copy of Spice Yourself Slim worth £16.99 please enter via The Rafflecopter below. Good luck
Ends 8.12.2016
No cash alternative.
If the winner does not respond to the email sent within 7 days, a new winner will be selected.
Promoted on Prize finder, BritMums, Loquax, Super Lucky and Competition Database.
I have put weight on recently and I need to lose it again!
I need to slim down!!
I cook with a lot of different spices, most days so I would love to win
I love spice, and often cook a spicy curry or pasta sauce etc, sometimes though I don’t always know what the vest combo is or how much to us eto make it taste very flavourable indeed! X
My mum really wants to read this book.
I would love to win her a copy for Christmas!
Thank you for running such a generous giveaway!
I love experimenting with spices and this book will teach me a lot of new tricks.
New Year – New Me!
I want to win as would make a great present for my mum
New Year = time to start losing the baby weight!
Steph at Mental Parentals recently posted…Meal Planning Monday 48/2016
I love making new things and hoping to lose some more weight this would be brill! The recipes sound amazing!
i could do with losing some weight x
I have been dieting for two years now -well watching my diet anyway and this would be great for spicing up my meals!
I was brought up on spicy foods and would like to add to my knowledge
i love trying new things
I have a long term condition which means I can’t exercise very much and this sounds an awesome way to try to lose a few of those excess pounds
Losing weight is such a challenge but I LOVE Spice so this sounds fantastic!!!!
I WANT to lose weight
I am trying to lose weight and I love spicy food!
If this really helps with weight loss I’ll be ecstatic as I really love spices – they make any ordinary humdrum meal come alive.
I want to win because my 17 year old daughter became a vegetarian a year ago. Since then we have grown our own veg and she has cooked some fantastic meals. In August this year, at the age of 45, I felt old and middle aged, unhappy in my job and overweight. My youngest 15 year old daughter mentioned that she missed the yummy mummy (for some reason this kicked me into touch). I quit my office job, started up being a self employed gardener, stopped alcohol, and ate healthy. My oldest daughter introduced me to vegetarian food, which she had prepared from stratch and was so tasty. The gardening was my exercise, my mind was in a good place and I have lost 1 stone in weight, only 6lbs to go to my target weight. Thank you Lily and Lucy xx
amazing
I really liked the post it was amazing thank you very much for the tips of the site !!
Jeena recently posted…Coisas que você nunca deve parar de fazer depois de ter sucesso com o seu food truck.
I always love new recipes—and we try to eat pretty clean, so this is perfect.
I haven’t tried this type of lentils before, but I’m sure I could substitute?
jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
jodie filogomo recently posted…The Fringe Jacket by Metrostyle & a Giveaway
maybe the start of a new diet
We really need some new ideas for lovely meals xx
Anything to help the diet
Id love to win as I adore to cook . Experimenting with different herbs and spices. Ive put on quite a bit of weight this tear too so would be a fabulous opportunity to lose a few pounds . 0
I would like to win so i can get some new healthy ideas, thanks.x
I like spices and I’m too fat!
because the pictures in this article look so yummy!
I have been trying to lose some weight with my Local slimming club but I crave spicy food
Would like to try something different and tone up at the same time
My sister is dieting and she loves her spices! I would love to win this for her.
For my wife