Usha Singh

With the miserable unusual weather we are having in Joburg, i was looking for something that could be eaten as a soup but also had the taste of a curry, so i opened my fridge and looked for vegetables that were already washed and chopped by my domestic worker. I found chopped onions, green beans and cabbage and from this my recipe for Brown Lentils with Green Beans & Cabbage was created. I hope you enjoy it as much my sister and i did.

Brown Lentils with Green Beans & Cabbage

250ml of brown lentils soaked in boiling water for about 45 minutes

15ml cooking oil

75ml finely chopped onions

2-3 curry leaves

5ml ginger paste

150ml finely chopped green beans

5ml roughly crushed cumin seeds

10ml sesame seeds

5ml freshly pounded green chillies

5ml cumin powder

2ml turmeric

5ml salt

10ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

75ml chopped coriander

15ml desiccated coconut

Method

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pot and add the chopped onions and allow to soften and brown slightly
2. Add curry leaves and ginger paste and fry for a few minutes and then add the cumin seeds, sesame seeds, chillies, cumin and turmeric powder and stir well and lower heat
3. Wash the soaked brown lentils and add to the onion mixture with the chopped green beans and cover the pot and allow to simmer for about 25-30 minutes or until lentils and beans are soft
4. Once the lentils are cooked season with salt, lemon juice and allow to simmer on low heat for another 10minutes
5. Garnish with chopped coriander and desiccated coconut and serve hot with roti that has been crisped in the microwave for about a minute or you can use croutons and pappadums  

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