Another Mamatouille original, created in my Mamatouille Test Kitchen (aka our tiny Japanese daidokoro).
You'll need:
- 1 cup dried lentils
- 1 veggie (or meat) stock cube
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 onion, chopped
- many, many cloves of garlic, minced
- a knob of ginger, grated
- dash cardamom
- dash hot paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1/4 kabocha, chopped into bite-sized pieces (leave the skin on, Japanese style)
- 1 can coconut milk (15 ounces or 425 grams)
- cooked rice, for serving
- for accompanying salad: cucumber, tomato, sweet yellow pepper, cilantro (coriander) leaves, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, ground cumin and coriander
Do this:
In a large stock pot, cook 1 cup dried lentils with 2.5 cups water, 1 veggie stock cube, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 bay leaf. When they are soft, about 20 minutes later, turn off the heat. You will not need to drain any liquid because it should pretty much all be absorbed. (I got the method for cooking lentils from page 105 in my More with Less cookbook.)
In a skillet, saute the onion, ginger, and garlic in a little coconut oil. When it's softened and a little browned, add the pepper, cardamom, hot paprika, cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, and curry powder. If you need to, add a bit more coconut oil. Stir it around a few minutes till it's aromatic and making you really, really hungry.
Pour the onion and spice mixture into the pot of lentils, along with 1/2 cup water and the chopped kabocha. Simmer till the kabocha is soft, then add the can of coconut milk. Taste and add a sprinkle of salt if needed. Serve over rice with cilantro/coriander leaves and the side salad.
Put your ear plugs in because the family will be shouting their praises.
