Barley soup
I was going to make a tarka dal for my tea, but I'd run out of lentils, so put some barley on to boil instead. And then I went off-piste.
Simmer the barley for half an hour. Add several cloves of finely chopped garlic and a veggie stock cube. Simmer for another half hour. In a frying pan with some hot oil, fry some of your favourite garam masala (mine's the stuff from the Sri Lankan corner shop - helpful aren't I!) and some ginger, add a finely chopped onion. When that's gone golden and delicious, add two chopped tomatoes and a little of the liquid that the barley is simmering in. Let it reduce a bit, then combine everything together. Once it's reached the right consistency, add some chopped coriander and baby pea pods. Stir those through to warm them and serve immediately.