• On my travels round the market town where I live, I popped in the greengrocer and amongst other things, bought a huge Savoy cabbage from the cheapy box for 50p. Looking up cabbage recipes, I came across Savoy Cabbage with Lentils at Abel & Cole – lots more cabbage recipes, and other veg recipes there too. It looked good, so I gave it a try and had it for dinner this evening. I made some Nan to go with it, and it was really delicious – a definite keeper

• 100g red lentils, 20p – 500g/£1
• 1 stock cube 6.5p – 78p/12 Asda
• 1 onion, chopped, 5p – 2kg/98p
• bit of garlic, a clove, a squeeze or a tsp of paste 3p – 1 clove from a bulb/25p tube/59p
• 250g cabbage, 25p – 1 large cabbage 800g?/£1
• 2 tsps mustard seeds 12p – 70g/86p Asda
• 1 tsp ground coriander 10p – 71p/34g Asda
• 1 tsp turmeric 3p – TRS 62p/100g
• pinch cayenne/chilli 1p?
• 1 tin tomatoes, 29p – any own brand
• 2 tblsps veg oil 4p – £1.35/1 litre

for the Nan

• 125g self raising flour, 4p – 1.5kg/45p
• pinch salt

1. First of all, make the nan. These really need to rest for at least an hour to get that doughy nan texture. If you make and eat them straight away, they will still taste good, but they will be  more cakey.
2. Stir the flour and salt with enough water to make a soft dough and give it all a good knead if you like, you don’t really need to, I don’t usually bother. Place in an oiled bowl and leave to prove for an hour.  Punch down and divide into 2. Roll out into nan shapes.
3. When you are ready to eat, pre-heat grill to high and place each nan on the grill pan and grill until it puffs and there are some brown spots. No need to turn over. Brush with a bit of spread or butter if yiu have it and serve straight away.
4. I make these nan with milk in the Chole recipe, but have found that water is just fine

1. Simmer the lentils with the stock cube in about 400ml water.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the veg. Strip the cabbage leaves from their tough stalks and very finely chop the stalks. I had almost nothing to put in the compost pot.
3. Saute the onion, garlic and cabbage in the oil until the onion is transparent, add the spices and saute for several minutes until the tiny bits of stalk are softened.
4. Add the tin of tomatoes, breaking them up if they are whole ones and tip in the cooked lentils. Simmer until the veg are cooked and soft, keep the lid off if you need to reduce the liquid a bit. Add salt and pepper if you need them
5. Serve with the Nan

Makes 2 extremely generous servings. If you don’t want that much, will keep well for the next day when you could have it with cous cous, rice or perhaps some potato

Per serving

Calories  587, Fat 23, Protein  16.2, Carbohydrate  88, Cost  51p per serving