Celebrity square meals: Julia Sawalha's lentil love potion

Serves 4

I'm a vegetarian, and this is a recipe I often cook for myself. Well, actually it's my mum's recipe, and despite having written it down in 10 different places, I never know where I have it so I have to call her and ask her for it.

My friend, Janine - who you'll meet in today's programme (see below) - believed that, because of the pomegranate in the recipe, the dish is an aphrodisiac. Hence the nickname. It certainly gives you lots of energy.

1 cup brown lentils
2 large onions
1 large bunch coriander
Half head garlic
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp pomegranate molasses (available from supermarkets and Greek or Turkish food shops)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp allspice

Mix the olive oil with the vegetable oil. Slice the onions and heat them gently in half the oil mix for about 20 minutes, until they're brown.

Once that's on the heat, simmer the lentils in 2 cups of water for about 20 minutes. Mash the garlic and chop the coriander. Save some of the coriander for the garnish, and fry the rest along with the mashed garlic in the remaining oil, stirring until the coriander softens.

Add this mixture to the pan of onions, stir to combine it, and then add all of this to the lentils in the pan. Add some salt, the spices, lemon juice and pomegranate molasses and simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve garnished with the remaining coriander and maybe some onion, with a mixed salad.

'A Taste of My Life' with Julia Sawalha is on BBC1 today at 11.30am