Food for Menopause by Dr Linia Patel is a practical food-based guide to managing menopause symptoms – from perimenopause and beyond – through simple and delicious recipes.

RED LENTIL DAHL WITH SPINACH
AND HOMEMADE SWEET POTATO CHAPATIS

When I was growing up, my mum had a fusion Indian-Zambian restaurant and dhal was one of the first recipes I learnt to cook with her. It’s comforting and it’s a crowd-pleaser – the sweet potato chapatis are wow. This also gets gold stars in terms of nutrition for happy hormones. Lentils are rich in protein, fibre and also B vitamins, which are essential for mood regulation. Vitamin B6 also serves as a co-factor for enzymes involved with oestrogen metabolism.

Serves 4-6

Ready in 1 hour

Vegetarian

1 sweet potato (about 200g/7oz)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, whole (optional)

3cm (1¼ inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tsp ground turmeric

350g (1 2⁄3 cups) red split lentils

150g (5½oz) tomatoes, chopped

1 x 400ml (14fl oz) tin coconut milk

300ml (1¼ cups) fresh vegetable stock (or use a low-sodium stock cube)

100g (2⁄3 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour

150g (1¼ cups) wholemeal chapati flour (or wholemeal flour whizzed in the food processor and sieved)

Pinch of salt

1 tsp ground cumin

3 tbsp kefir yoghurt or natural yoghurt

200g (7oz) baby spinach

1 Preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF).

2 Roast the sweet potato for 40 minutes until tender.

3 Meanwhile, in a pan, heat the oil over a medium heat and fry the onion for 10 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, if using, ginger, garam masala and turmeric and fry for a minute more. Add the lentils, tomato, coconut milk and stock. Season and simmer for 15 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed and the dhal has thickened.

4 When cool enough to handle, scoop out the sweet potato from the skin and mash in a bowl. Add the flours, a good pinch of salt, cumin and yoghurt. Bring together into a dough and divide into six portions. Roll out each portion to a few millimetres thick. Heat a heavy-based pan over a medium heat and dry-fry the breads in batches on both sides for 3–4 minutes until they are cooked and golden.

5 Meanwhile, add the spinach to the dhal and allow to wilt. Remove the garlic cloves, if using, and discard. Serve the dhal with the chapatis.

Tips

Roast the sweet potato ahead of time and keep the mashed filling in the fridge for up to a week. If you’re short on time, you can serve the dhal with bought flatbreads or chapatis. This recipe mostly contains store-cupboard ingredients and is good for batch-cooking and freezing.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Linia is a leading Dietitian and Performance Nutritionist who works with women to help them better understand the powerful connection between how their body works and how to achieve optimal health. Linia has degrees in Biochemistry and Physiology; Nutrition and Dietetics; and Sports Nutrition. She also gained a PhD in Public Health and Epidemiology. She is affiliated to the Health Professional Council, British Dietetic Association (BDA), Sports Dietitians UK and the Nutrition Society.

Linia has a clinical practice and runs her own nutrition and dietetic consultancy, Linia Nutrition, where she offers one-to-one consultations and corporate services. Being a spokesperson for the BDA, she is regularly quoted in the national consumer and professional press. Her numerous TV appearances as a presenter and nutrition expert include: BBC2 Food’s Truth or Scare, BBC1’s Tomorrow’s Food and Rip Off Britain, ITV’s Save Money, Lose Weight and Channel 5’s Get a Holiday Body and Diet Secrets.

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