One pan, a bag of red lentils and the spice drawer, and you have dinner for four in 28 minutes. The lentils collapse into a thick golden stew spiced with cumin and turmeric, with sweet pockets of dried apricot through it and lemon and cilantro over the top.
Hold the apricots back until the halfway mark. By eight minutes the lentils are already breaking apart, and fruit going in at that stage turns tender while keeping its shape. Added at the start it simply melts away, and you lose the sweet bites that make the pot worth eating. Run a spoon along the bottom every so often, because red lentils will stick and scorch as soon as they begin to thicken.
It keeps thickening as it stands, so loosen it with a splash of water if it goes past spoonable. A serving carries just under 10 grams of fiber. Yellow split peas give a firmer texture if you prefer some bite, and a spoonful of yogurt at the table is welcome.
