Monthly Meals: November 2006

Before I start writing the recipe, I have to thank my friend Anish Bhasin and his mother for providing the daal recipe to me a few years ago. I’ve been making it ever since, and I’ll always be thankful.

This month’s meal is Daal with Coconut Rice and Ginger Spinach. It’s the perfect meal for the fall/winter transition time of year. I’m pretty sure it’s Ted’s favorite thing I make, and for good reason. For all you veggie-heads out there, an added bonus is that it’s totally vegan.

MAIN DISH

Daal

In a stockpot, boil about 4 cups of water. Add 2/3 cup of green lentils, 1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric, and about a tablespoon of red palm oil. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 20–30 minutes, or until lentils are cooked.

While lentils are simmering, heat some red palm oil in a frying pan. Dice 2 large tomatoes, one yellow onion, and a few cloves of garlic (as desired). Place in heated oil and add 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are clear and the tomatoes are really mushy, almost a paste.

Once lentils are cooked, dump out some of the water. The remaining water will make a gravy of sorts, so how much you keep will be based on how much liquid you like in the daal. I pour our most of it, keeping a layer of liquid at the bottom of the lentils. Add the tomato & onion mixture.

Bring back to a boil, and stir frequently for about 5 minutes. Add salt to taste, and serve over rice.

Coconut Rice

Start with one cup of good organic white basmati rice. Wash it a few times by adding warm water to the rice in a saucepan, swishing it around with your fingers, and pouring it out, and repeating two or three times.

To one cup of washed rice, add one cup of water, one cup of organic coconut milk, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. The result is a nice, thick rice, a perfect compliment for the daal.

*You may wish to serve the meal with naan, an Indian flat bread that’s delicious. Since I don’t know how to make it, and I suspect that it is time-consuming, go ahead and buy it at the store.

SIDE DISH

Ginger Spinach

This goes really well with the daal. If you don’t care for spinach, you can substitute red chard, or any other greens that you like. Wash your greens well, whether they come from a bag or a bulk bin in the produce department.

Take some fresh ginger root and cut the skin off with a knife. I suppose you could use a vegetable peeler, though I’ve never tried it. Grate about one inch’s worth of the root, just enough for flavor. Ginger is potent, so take care not to use too much unless you have done it before and know how it will affect your taste buds. You can also finely chop some garlic, if you like.

Heat some red palm oil in a large saucepan. You will need a large pan, because the fresh greens take up a lot of space. Once oil is hot, add the ginger/garlic. Sauté for a few minutes, just long enough to release the flavor of the ginger and reduce some of its potency.

Place several cups of washed greens in the saucepan. It’s best to use more leaves than you think you will need, since they will reduce down so significantly. It will feel like you have a giant pile of leaves on your stove, but don’t worry, they’ll eventually wilt down to a little pile.

Add 1/4 cup of water, which won’t feel like very much. The water in the greens is enough, the added water is just to get it started. It’s tempting to put a lid on the greens, but I have found that if you make the pile of leaves thick enough, it will act as its own lid. This method ensures that the nutrients in the greens are absorbed back into the leaves as they cook, rather than being poured off at the end in the liquid.

After several minutes, move some of the uncooked leaves on the top of the pile aside to see if the ones on the bottom are wilted. If they are, stir the greens so that the uncooked leaves are at the bottom. Once most of the leaves are wilted, stir them thoroughly with the ginger for flavor. Continue to cook over medium-low heat, until most of the water has evaporated. Serve with a slatted spoon to drain off whatever water does remain.

DESSERT

Raw Almond and Coconut Balls

Okay, no ball jokes. Since the dinner is vegan, I’m going to keep the dessert vegetarian. PLEASE NOTE: This recipe calls for raw, unheated honey. If you are vegan, you can substitute by using raw agave nectar. I keep raw agave from Madhava in my pantry at all times. It is runnier than honey, though, so if you choose to use the agave nectar in its place, you may want to use a little bit less to preserve the shape of the balls.

In a food processor, combine 2 cups raw almonds (you can soak them first, if you’re into that), 1 cup shredded coconut, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and honey or agave nectar to taste. I sometimes add a handful of raw cocoa nibs, which are delicious, but keep in mind that they contain caffeine.

Blend in food processor until ingredients are thoroughly mushed. Shape the mixture into balls about one inch in diameter, and place them on a non-stick cookie sheet, evenly spaced apart. Refrigerate for at least a couple of hours. The great thing about these balls is you can make them hours in advance, even the day before. They make a delicious raw dessert, and the leftovers make a great snack.

MUSIC

Album: José González, Veneer

Don’t let the name fool you, the dude is Swedish. This album came out several years ago in Eurpoe, and only made it to the U.S. in April of this year. It’s perfect to play while you’re cooking, and equally suitable to play quietly during dinner as well. In fact, I listen to this album for pretty much anything – driving, brooding, writing, whatever. No matter when you listen to it, you’ll never regret buying this album.