Lentil & Sausage Curry

Yum, this is one of our favourite meals! Like most of my favourite recipes, I tend to make it a little different every time so my instructions are very dodgy as to quantities! This is a vegetarian recipe, but liking it so much, J made a meat sausage version one day and said it was just as good if not better! If making a meat version, it is probably a good idea to grill your sausies first.

You need:

* A little vegetable oil
* 1 large onion
* Vegetarian sausages (I use 1 packet of Vegie Delights Hot Dogs, Traditional, or BBQ flavour)
* Half jar of curry paste (any will do, I like Korma or Rogan Josh)
* 1 can chopped tomatoes
* 2 vegetable stock cubes
* About 1/2 pack (200g?) red lentils
* 4 cups Water
* (Optional) Thickened light cream

Heat the oil in a large pot or saucepan and add the chopped onions. Fry until translucent. Add the curry paste and stir for a few minutes until nice and fragrant. Add the can of chopped tomatoes. Mix the stock cubes into water and add this to the pot too. Bring to the boil and then add your lentils and sliced sausages. Bring back to the boil then lower to a simmer. Stir every few minutes to prevent sticking and to check it does not dry out - I don't measure my lentils, so sometimes put in too much and find I have to add more water. Simmer for at least 20 minutes. I like my lentils mushy so I normally simmer for about 30 mins. Taste the mix now and see how you like it. Depending on the curry paste and your own preference, you may want to add more water to lighten the taste, or add a little curry powder or ground chilli to intensify the flavour. If your mixture is quite runny, you might want to add a little cornflour to thicken. When done, for a creamier curry, you can stir in 1/2 - 1 tub of light cream to your taste but this is optional.

NOTES:

* Serve with steamed rice if desired, although I like a kind of soupy curry, so I eat a big bowl of it on its own without rice like a chunky soup.

* I usually add whatever vegies need using up to this curry. Green beans, mushrooms and capsicum are all good added to this.

*When I can't be bothered standing over a stove, I make this by putting ALL ingredients at once into a big casserole pot and putting it in the oven at 180 degrees. It takes about 1 1/2 hours to cook and you need to take it out every half hour or so to stir. But it is so much less energy than the saucepan version, and tastes even better!