Life Through the Looking Glass

So, here’s a recipe I keep cooking again and again. Probably every other week–I’m still tweaking it slightly to even out the rough edges (especially when it comes to colors; I like my dishes to be multicolored and bright.) So, here’s the current state of the dish.

Ingredients

• 1 19oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 19oz can coconut milk, shaken (to incorporate the fat)
• 3 moderately hot chili peppers, finely diced (I like both Serrano and Red Fresno)
• 1/2 medium red or orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 small to medium onion, diced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small finger ginger, peeled and minced
• Dash of coriander seed, ground
• Generous dash of ground cayenne pepper (to taste)
• Dash of cumin
• Pinch of turmeric
• Generous splash of extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

Heat the oil in a deep pot over medium heat; once it’s properly heated, add the spices and let them heat and diffuse in the oil; then add the garlic and ginger; once the ginger has softened, add the onion and peppers, and sauté until the onion is transparent. Add the beans and coconut milk, and some water to cover. Stir, bring the contents up to a boil then cover and reduce heat. Cook at a simmer for a minimum of 20 minutes; the flavours will continue to meld and blend after that point. Note that some of the beans may burst, it doesn’t really affect the quality of the curry! Serve with rice or naan, serves 3-4. (I heartily recommend using a rice cooker and starting the rice after reducing the curry to a simmer, since it provides the curry plenty of time to prepare.)

Since dinner tonight turned out phenomenally well, I figured I’d post the recipe:

Red lentil and yellow split pea curry

• 1/2 cup red lentils, sorted and rinsed
• 3/4 cup yellow split peas, sorted and rinsed
• 2 Tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
• Dash of turmeric
• Cumin, cayenne pepper, and paprika to taste

First, be sure to rinse the lentils and peas until the water runs clear, and sort them in case there’s detritus mixed in; not all batches of pulses are necessarily clean. Add the pulses to a pot with approximately 2 cups of water, adding in the dash of turmeric. Bring the pot to a simmer, stirring regularly, place the lid on and cook for approximately 15 minutes. While the lentils and peas are cooking, in a larger pot heat the olive oil, adding the remaining spices to bloom before adding the onion, pepper, garlic, and ginger; sauté the vegetables until the onions are translucent, then add the lentils and peas, stirring to combine. Add more water and cumin, etc. to taste; simmer with the lid partially off the pan until at the desired consistency, serve on rice.

Serves … maybe 3 or 4. Uncertain.