“There’s a level of comfort in dal that promises nourishment and simplicity, which is what you want for a quick dinner.” - Helly Raichura

Grab a blanket and snuggle up on the couch with this comforting lentil soup.

delicious. Food Editor Georgie Esdaile puts her own spin on a classic Malay dish, packed with quintessential Malaysian flavours.

Warren Mendes shares his Indian-inspired basmati dahl – a warm, rich curry served with fresh pepper pickles.

The humble cauliflower takes a starring role in Emma Knowles' nourishing khichari, guaranteed to warm your bones on the chilliest winter's day.

This easy and nourishing lentil soup is a staple throughout the Middle East, and a popular start to the traditional Iftar feast after sundown throughout Ramadan.

“Corn could stand in for zucchini here,” says Silvia Colloca.

Fresh watermelon and rich labneh pair perfectly together.

Serve this impressive vegetarian ragu with your favourite pasta. Extracted from Flavour by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage (Ebury Press, $55). Text © Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage 2020 Photography © Jonathan Lovekin 2020.

“This is a vegan version of a famous raw lamb dish called kibbeh nayeh. Lentil kibbeh is very popular in Turkey and Armenia. The great thing with this dish is it can be made days in advance. If you plan on doing this I suggest leaving the lemon juice out and only adding it to the mix before serving," says Simon Zalloua.

This spring greens salad is the perfect side dish but also deserves to be part of the main game.

This prawn and lentil curry brings a whole new meaning to the word 'flavour'.

"The squash-and-lentil filling remains incredibly moist thanks to ripe tomatoes. I like to crumble over some barrel-aged feta for a salty twang; capers or chopped sun-dried tomatoes would work well too," says Gill Meller. This is an edited extract from Root, Stem, Leaf, Flower by Gill Meller (Hardie Grant Books, $49.99) and is available where all good books are sold.

Spiced pumpkin soup is guaranteed to cut through any winter chills.

“You really can make wholesome chicken soup in just half an hour," says Michelle Bridges. This is an edited extract from 12WBT Low-carb Solution by Michelle Bridges (published by Macmillan Australia, RRP $36.99).