This employs some of my favorite spices and elements of Indian cooking. It’s a beautiful, light and delicious combination of green lentils, tangy raita, crunchy peanuts and spicy, fragrant tofu or cauliflower.
Make it with either tofu or cauliflower or any vegetable you’d like.
Serves 4
For the lentils:
1 1/2 cups small green lentils (they hold their shape much better than the larger, brown ones)
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
For the tofu or cauliflower:
Coating the tofu or cauliflower with this spice mixture is a little tricky. I suggest adding a bit of water to the spices in order to be able to evenly coat it. This does make crisping it up in the pan take a bit longer since the water has to evaporate but it works. If you wanted to keep it really dry use powdered garlic and ginger.
1 14-oz block firm tofu or about 6-7 cups cauliflower florets and stems, chopped fairly small
2 teaspoons minced or grated fresh ginger (micro-plane works great)
1 large clove garlic, minced or grated
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground hot red pepper or smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons oil
Raita:
2 smallish cucumbers (you want about 2 cups grated cucumber)
2/3 cup plain whole-milk yogurt or Greek yogurt
1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons minced onion or scallion
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes, to taste
Pinch of ground cumin and ground coriander
Salt, to taste
Toppings:
2/3 cup roasted peanuts
1/3 cup fresh mint or cilantro, chopped
4 hard-cooked eggs - optional (bring eggs to a boil and cook for 7 minutes, drain and rinse with cold water), peeled and halved
Put the lentils, water and salt in a pot, cover and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, crack the lid and simmer for 23 minutes (for me this leads to perfectly cook lentils that keep their shape). Drain and drizzle with a bit of oil and set aside.
For the raita, cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise (no need to peel). Scoop the seeds out with a spoon and then grate the cucumbers on the large holes of a box grater. You want small pieces so if they come out long, chop them a bit with a knife when you’re done. Squeeze some of the liquid out with your hands and place in a bowl. Sprinkle a little coarse salt on the garlic and mash with the side of a chef’s knife until you have a paste. Add this and all the remaining ingredients to the cucumbers. Gently mix and let stand for a few minutes so the flavors can come together.
If using tofu, drain and press the tofu dry in dishtowel and then slice into planks and crumble or cut into small dice.
Mix the ginger, garlic, spices and salt in a small bowl. Add water to thin and then gently but thoroughly toss it with the tofu or cauliflower. Heat 1-2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu or cauliflower and fry until crisp and just tender in the case of the cauliflower.
Portion the lentils (you may have a bit leftover) into 4 bowls, top with tofu/cauliflower, raita, peanuts and mint and an egg.
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