Culture

I think it’s time for a collective sigh of relief. Winter is pretty much over and a head of broccoli is less than $2 again. Let the joyous prancing ensue! Before you know it we will all be feasting on tomato and capsicum like it’s going out of fashion.

Clearly, I’m still in a winter mindset as this week’s recipe is perfect for winter vegetable prices. Other than red lentils, the main ingredients are grated carrot and grated pumpkin. Talk about cheap; at $2/kilo even the most strained oh-fuck-I-spent-$100-at-Metro-last-night budget could afford this. It’s perfect for vegetarians but will definitely be enjoyed by even the most carnivorous flatmate. Added bonus: grating the pumpkin reduces potential for grievous bodily harm. I have a friend with a wicked scar on her thumb from an incident with a pumpkin and a knife. Scary shit.
 
For lentil newbies, be reassured - red lentils are not expensive and, conveniently, they do not need to be pre-soaked before cooking. These tasty flavour vessels are also are high in protein, rich in fibre and good for boosting iron levels. An all-round wonder food. They shouldn’t be too far from the rice/pasta section in your supermarket.
 
Once again, I encourage a visit to the Indian supermarket on St Andrew St. So many spices for such reasonable prices. They also have banana chips which are delicious.
 
 
Ingredients:
 
1 cup red lentils
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup grated pumpkin
1 tbsp crushed ginger
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 and a half litres of boiling water
1 and a half tsp salt
1 tsp crushed garlic
2 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
Chilli powder to taste (1tsp ish)
1 cup finely chopped spinach (use frozen; its easier)
1 cup coconut cream
2 tbsp lemon juice
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of coriander
 
Place the red lentils, carrot, pumpkin, ginger, salt and turmeric in a big pot with the boiling water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 mins until the lentils and veges are cooked. You can tell when the lentils are cooked because they fall apart.
 
Heat some oil in a small frying pan on medium heat. Add garlic, mustard seeds and cumin seeds – cook until the mustard seeds make a popping noise, should only take about 30 seconds.
 
Add seeds and garlic to the cooked lentils. Then add chilli and spinach and continue cooking for five or so minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring the dhal back to boil before serving with rice.