Main Dish

Persian Herb & Lentil Stew with Saffron Yoghurt

Name: Persian Herb & Lentil Stew with Saffron Yoghurt
Prep time: 55 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 200 g brown lentils, rinsed; 200 g spinach, parsley and coriander, chopped; 1 large aubergine, sliced into rounds; 2 dried limes, pierced; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 45 ml extra virgin olive oil; 150 g thick yoghurt with a pinch of steeped saffron

Slow-braised greens, brown lentils and grilled aubergine; deeply plant-rich.

55 min 4 servings 95 kcal per serving

Ingredients

200 gbrown lentils, rinsed
200 gspinach, parsley and coriander, chopped
1 largeaubergine, sliced into rounds
2dried limes, pierced
1 tspground turmeric
45 mlextra virgin olive oil
150 gthick yoghurt with a pinch of steeped saffron

Method

01
Brush the aubergine with oil and grill 4 minutes per side until smoky and yielding.
02
Sweat the turmeric in the remaining oil for 30 seconds to bloom its aroma.
03
Add the lentils, dried limes and 700 ml water, then simmer 25 minutes until tender but intact.
04
Stir in the chopped greens and cook a further 10 minutes so the stew turns dark and glossy.
05
Season, then rest off the heat for 5 minutes to let the sourness settle.
06
Serve with the grilled aubergine on top and a spoon of saffron yoghurt.

Why this dish works

Persian Herb & Lentil Stew with Saffron Yoghurt is built for 4 servings and lands at roughly 95 kcal per plate, with 19g protein, 44g carbohydrate and 14g fat across the recipe. It comes together in about 55 minutes using 7 whole-food ingredients — led by brown lentils, rinsed, spinach, parsley and coriander, chopped, aubergine, sliced into rounds — so nothing here relies on packaged sauces, refined sugar or ultra-processed shortcuts. That balance is what keeps it a realistic weeknight option rather than a weekend project.

The main dish sits inside our collection and carries the Plant-Based, Gluten-Free, High-Protein, Anti-Inflammatory, Blood Pressure tags, so it slots straight into the Smart Recipe Finder when you filter by dietary focus or allergens. Scale the portions in the recipe drawer and the ingredient quantities and macros recalculate together; sync it to your shopping list and the pantry tracker subtracts what you already own before the list is generated.

Cooking and storing it well

Read the method through once before you start — the 6 steps are written in the order a working kitchen would run them, with prep that can overlap grouped together. Hands-free cook mode reads each step aloud and runs the timers, so your phone can stay on the counter. Season at the end rather than the beginning: salt, acid and good olive oil do more for the finished plate when they are adjusted against the cooked dish. Leftovers keep well chilled for two to three days in a sealed container; bring anything dressed or herb-heavy back to room temperature before serving so the aromatics come forward again.

Complete the meal