Gluten-free Coconut and Garlic Flatbread:

Gluten-Free Flatbread: As we step into winter in the Northern hemisphere, soups, dahls and curries slide their way onto the weekly menu. Nothing nourishes more than a warm, hearty bowl jam-packed full of goodness. A slight segway from my usual sweet treats, I whipped up some gluten-free garlic “flatbreads” which go perfectly with this super easy dahl recipe.

I also cooked up some quinoa, and cumin roasted cauliflower as a side treat. This batter recipe, minus the garlic ‘butter’, would also work as a healthy alternative to the traditional ‘crepe’. I think Nutella and banana would suffice. 

Ingredients for the gluten-free “flatbreads”:

• 2.5 cups of water
• 1.5 cups of buckwheat flour
• 1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda
• Salt 

In a large bowl, mix the buckwheat flour, salt and water. Whisk until well-combined. Leave this batter to sit at room temperature for around one hour. This helps the batter thicken up nicely! At this point, you can get started on the dahl (scroll down for that recipe).

Method:

1. In a bowl, prepare 2 tablespoons of coconut oil (melted) with 1 clove of crushed garlic. 
2. Pop your oven on a low temperature – enough to keep the cooked flatbreads warm.
3. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat in a saucepan. Use a paper towel to evenly coat the pan with oil. 
4. Using a ladle, add some batter to the pan as you would when making crepes. Make sure the mixture covers the whole pan in a very thin ‘sheet’.
5. Once air bubbles start to form, using a silicone spatula, you can flip the flatbread onto the other side. 
6. Have a plate ready and place the cooked flatbread on the plate. 
7. Using a pastry brush, brush on the garlic coconut oil mixture and place the plate in the oven to keep the flatbread warm.
8. Repeat this process, re-oiling the pan in between flatbreads, until all of the batter is finished.

The Red Lentil Dahl Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp of coconut oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1 thumb-size of fresh ginger
• 1 tsp of dried chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 2 teaspoons of turmeric
• 1.5 teaspoons of garam masala
• 1 teaspoon of roughly crushed coriander seeds
•  1 cup of dried lentils
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 2 cups of vegetable broth (1 veg stock cube mixed with 2 cups of hot water) 
• Salt and pepper
• 2 handfuls of fresh spinach at the end

Method:

1. Heat the coconut oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook gently for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli flakes. 
2. Add all of the spices and ‘toast’ them for 1-2 minutes. 
3. Add the lentils and coat them evenly in the spices. 
4. After about 1 minute, add the can of tomatoes, coconut milk and 2 cups of stock. Stir to combine and simmer on a medium to low heat for 20 minutes. Do a few taste tests and season with salt, pepper and more chilli as you go along. The lentils should soak up a lot of the moisture. 
5. After 20 minutes, and if the mixture has thickened up nicely, add the spinach. 

Once the dahl is finished, and the flatbreads are made, serve with quinoa(or rice) and cumin-roasted cauliflower. This is just cauliflower tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper, a pinch of cumin spice and some turmeric roasted at 200 for about 20 minutes. They should take on a nice char from the oven.

Why not try out my 3-ingredient linseed bread to go with your next warming soup?