For dinner, m and I had lentils, pineapple-corn chutney and Fage. Easy, flavorful and satisfying, this meal is also healthy and cheap. I find that I gravitate to these flavors when I feel anxious or anchor-less. There is something very simple and grounding about preparing and eating this food. I’ve been meaning to post about it and share the love.
Like a triangle, strength comes from three connected points: lentils, salsa, yogurt.
The lentils: cooked within an Indian flavor palate. These are nothing like your mother’s lentil soup or even your lentil salad. The flavor is earthy and spicy, buttery rich in a supporting, fortifying manner.
1 cup lentils (the smaller the better, I like to get green French Lentils)
2 chunks of ginger, about the size of quarters
2 large cloves of garlic
5 cardamom pods
1 tbl. mustard seeds
3 cloves
1/2 tsp. chai masala
Wash the lentils, then place them in a saucepan. Add ginger and garlic (both finely chopped or pressed), spices, and a few strong grinds of a pepper mill. Pour water into saucepan so that the lentils are covered by an inch. Bring to a slow boil, then turn down the heat as low as it will go and simmer, adding a pinch of salt from time to time as the lentils soften and to taste. Cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the lentils are done.
Once the lentils are done to your liking, stir in 2 tbl of butter. Don’t skip this. The lentils won’t be anywhere nears as good.
**This recipe is based the recipe, “Simplest Dal” in Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.**
The chutney: spicy is the only requirement. I tend to mix up the chutney/salsa ingredients, depending on what I have around and what’s in season. As now it is summer, the height of mint and corn, I was compelled to include these flavors. I also had a pineapple that was very ready to be eaten. I think the fruit chutney work well especially with the lentils, which are quite solid in their flavor. Sweet-spicy chutney adds an element of light-hearted exictement, of crunch and twists to the steady lentils.
1 thinly diced pineapple (canned is fine)
juice of two limes (if you’re looking to cut costs, 1 lime is fine and add some orange juice or lemon juice)
scant 1 tbl. of brown sugar
big handful of chopped mint
big handful of chopped cilantro
1-2 cups of corn or to taste
1 tsp chopped habanero pepper (don’t use the seeds! the habanero is not a pepper to be taken lightly. It is intense but not painful; it is very spicy, be forewarned.)
1 tsp. mustard seeds
one large chunk of ginger, thinly thinly diced
salt and pepper to taste
The yogurt: greek yogurt is best for this. If cutting costs, any yogurt will do. But Fage is so thick and creamy. It really is the mortar that ties the flavors together.
Enjoy!
*New habit: After squeezing the juice, don’t throw away the limes! Add them to a pitcher of water or use them in gin and tonics.
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