Red Lentils Tarka with Raisin Chutney
A warming and soothing vegetarian dish of red lentils seasoned with cumin, asafoetida, garlic and curry leaves, served with lacto-fermented raisin chutney and toasted flatbread..
Red Lentils Tarka with Raisin Chutney
For the Chutney (adapted from a recipe by Sally Fallon)
1 1/2 cups organic raisins, soaked in warm filtered water for 1 hour
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves
10 black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/2 tablespoon anise seeds
1/2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons whey
1/2 cup filtered water
Place garlic and cilantro in food processor and pulse a few times. Drain raisins and add to food processor along with peppercorns, red pepper flakes, seeds and ginger. Pulse a few times until the mixture becomes a coarse paste. Transfer to a pint-sized, wide-mouth mason jar and press down lightly with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer. Mix salt and whey with water and pour into jar. You may need to poke a few holes in the chutney to allow liquid to percolate through. Add more water if necessary to cover the chutney. The top of the chutney should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 2 days before transferring to refrigerator. The chutney should be eaten with 2 months.
For the Lentils
1 cup split red lentils, picked over, rinsed and drained
3 cups vegetable stock or filtered water
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black Tellicherry peppercorns
1 bay leaf
Combine lentils and stock in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Skim off any scum, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add turmeric, pepper and bay. Cover and simmer until thick and tender, about 40 minutes.
For the Tarka (adapted from a recipe by Madhur Jaffrey)
2 tablespoons ghee
1/3 teaspoon asafoetida
1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon curry leaves, chopped
1-2 small fresh red chillies, chopped
1 clove garlic, coarsely minced
1/2 small onion, diced
1 plum tomato, chopped
Heat ghee in a heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the asafoetida and let it sizzle for 30 seconds. Add the cumin and chilies and cook until the chillies begin to get crisp, about 1 minute. Add onions and cook until browned. Add tomato and garlic and cook until garlic is browned. Stir the tarka (including all of the liquid) into the lentils, cover and let stand 5 minutes to combine the flavors.
Serve hot with raisin chutney and toasted flatbread.
This post is in support of Meatless Monday, whose goal it is to goal is to help reduce
meat consumption by 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.
Sprouted Lentil and Chicken Curry
Leftover Mondays
A simple, single-skillet dish of sprouted lentils, chicken, garbanzos, spring onions and fresh peas with homemade yoghurt and lacto-fermented raisin chutney..
Sprout lentils by placing them in a canning jar and cover with filtered water. Soak 12 hours or overnight, then drain and rinse 2-3 times/day until 1/2 inch sprouts appear (about 3 days). Sprouted lentils are higher in nutrition and easier to digest than non-sprouted. They also cook much faster.
Slowly cook leftover roast chicken, cooked lentils and garbanzos, spring onions, roasted red pepper, cracked cardamom pods and coriander in a little ghee and chicken bone broth until the flavors have combined, about 15 minutes. Add fresh peas and red pepper flakes and cook a few minutes more.
Meanwhile, prepare basmati rice with curry, substituting a least some of the water with chicken bone broth.
Serve with homemade yoghurt and lacto-fermented raisin chutney.
Chana Masala with Raisin Chutney
A vegetarian dish of chana dal, yams, fresh coriander, onions, spices and raisin chutney..
Rinse, pick over and soak chana dal overnight in filtered water with a tablespoon of whey.
Cook rinsed basmati rice in a 4:1 water to rice ratio in an open pan. Cover and keep warm.
Meanwhile, sauté diced yam in ghee until soft. Add dal and continue to cook until golden brown.
Add the sliced white part of a large spring onion and a tablespoon or two of a masala containing black pepper, curry leaf, coriander, cumin, cardamom, bay leaf, ginger, cloves and mustard seeds. Continue to cook until onions are browned.
Add a volume of water equal to 1/2 that of the vegetables and continue to cook, stirring often, until the water is absorbed and the dal is tender.
Add the sliced green tops of the spring onion and a handful of chopped coriander leaves.
Stir to combine and serve over rice. Dress with raisin chutney and garnish with nigella seeds and additional coriander.
Carrot Curry with Mustard Greens, Brown Rice and Raisin Chutney
Ginger, coriander, fenugreek, dill and orange peel are just some of the flavors in this wildly delicious vegetarian dish..
Adapted from Nourishing Traditions
Melt butter in a little olive oil in a heavy pan. Open a few cardamom pods and add the seeds along with the brown rice and sauté until the rice is glazed and fragrant. Add filtered water and/or stock to cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until done, about 50 minutes.
Melt butter in a little olive oil in a heavy pan. Sauté mustard seeds, cumin, corriander, turmeric, fenugreek, dill and cayenne until fragrant. Add a small chopped onion and cook until soft.
Add carrots and cook a few minutes more. Add iltered water and/or stock, freshly grated ginger and orange rind and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add in toasted cashews.
Continue to cook until carrots are nearly done. Thicken sauce with a little dissolved arrowroot, add chiffonade of mustard greens and simmer another minute or two.
Serve over brown rice and garnish with raisin chutney.
Rating ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Lacto-fermented Raisin Chutney
When I read the recipe for raisin chutney in Sally Fallon‘s Nourishing Traditions, I knew that it would be wholesome and nutritious, but I was a little doubtful about how good it would taste. Boy, was I wrong!
Star anise, ginger, coriander, fresh cilantro, plump raisins.. this stuff is seriously delicious!
1 1/2 cups organic raisins, soaked in warm filtered water for 1 hour
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves
10 black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/2 tablespoon anise seeds
1/2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons whey
1/2 cup filtered water
Place garlic and cilantro in food processor and pulse a few times. Drain raisins and add to food processor along with peppercorns, red pepper flakes, seeds and ginger. Pulse a few times until the mixture becomes a coarse paste. Transfer to a pint-sized, wide-mouth mason jar and press down lightly with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer. Mix salt and whey with water and pour into jar. You may need to poke a few holes in the chutney to allow liquid to percolate through. Add more water if necessary to cover the chutney. The top of the chutney should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 2 days before transferring to refrigerator. The chutney should be eaten with 2 months.
