Thursday, January 31, 2008
Two legume and greens dishes in one week. Definitely not intentional, I actually wanted to make something kind of Indian and remember seeing a recipe in “How to Cook Everything Vegetarian” for a lentil soup with coconut. When I was ready to make it, I noticed that in addition to missing the crucial fresh coconut I was missing the tomatoes and an assortment of vegetables (okra anyone?). A few pages later in the book, Bittman has a recipe for a soup that inspired this one.
First, the lentils are gently simmered till soft. I used a combination of brown lentils and urad dal since I was going for an Indian flavor. When the lentils are soft, I sit in one packet of frozen chopped spinach and let it cook for a few more minutes. Last I added the Takla, a mixture of sautéed spices in oil with ginger and garlic.
To go with the soup, I made some fresh naan bread. It came out ok, but not great. I need a better recipe.
Since the seasonings and spices are added at the end of the cooking, dishes like this one lend themselves very well to an overnight stay in the fridge. The bowl I had the next day was much better flavored and balanced than the fresh made one.