Nettle, Ground Elder and Lentil Curry


This is a delicious vegetable curry; here we’ve used nettles and ground elder, but you could swap these ingredients for others depending on the time of year.  In the photo below you can see it served with a venison curry, sag aloo made with nettles, samosas and pakoras, all made from foraged plants, and a ground ivy raita.  This wonderful banquet was prepared recently on a Hen Weekend we ran for a lovely bunch of women.

foraging | Kent | south east | London

Ingredients to make the Nettle, Ground Elder and Lentil Curry

  • 400g of nettles and ground elder
  • Samall bunch of wild garlic if in season
  • 150g of green lentils
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1 green chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 piece of root ginger, peeled and grated
  • 2 cloves of garlic crushed and finely chopped
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp of ground coriander
  • 1 tsp of turmeric
  • Olive oil
  • Knob of butter
  • 300ml of vegetable stock
  • Salt and pepper

How to make the Nettle, Ground Elder and Lentil Curry

  • Put the lentils in a pan, add boiling water and bring to the boil.
  • Simmer for 20 minutes and then drain
  • Gently fry the onion and garlic in a little olive oil and the butter until soft and translucent
  • Add the chilli and ginger and fry for another 5 minutes
  • Add the spices and cook for another 3 minutes
  • Fold in the nettles, ground elder and wild garlic
  • Add the cooked lentils
  • Add the vegetable stock and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes
  • Season to taste

We identify, collect and cook with a wide range of plants on our weekend long Wild Foods & Woodland Cooking course and also on our 1 Day Spring Forage.  You can see loads of photos from that, and all of our other courses, on our Facebook page.


About Gary

Lead Instructor at Jack Raven Bushcraft, teaching bushcraft, wilderness and survival skills to groups and individuals.

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