Here's The (Lentil) Thing: Pink Lentils With Root Vegetables

Michel loves to go exploring in specialty grocery stores—you know, the ones that smell sort of funky and sell vegetables that look like Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors among other things we can’t identify.  He loves asking questions and talking to other customers about how to prepare an exotic produce item.  You might find us at Patel Brothers or Choi’s or any of the markets near the Vietnam Kitchen restaurant on a quest for the perfect ingredient not to be found in the typical supermarket.  

Recently we made a pilgrimage to Patel’s to find a Lentil Thing.  Michel didn’t know the name of it but that was a non-issue.  He knew what he was looking for: THE tool for mixing lentils.  We went up and down the aisles searching for cooking utensils and found them alongside the incense paraphernalia.  It wasn’t until today that I found the name of the lentil mixing tool: kavvam.  It took some Google search term contortions to get to it, but I prevailed.  It’s also called a churn, which makes sense.  There’s another specialty tool for making dal; luckily they’re not easily confused.

Here’s a new vegan recipe that will allow you to use your kavvam and to incorporate some very festive-looking beets.  I found a brief intro to these heirloom beets from northern Italy: What the heck is a chioggia beet?  Have fun!  

Pink Lentils with Root Vegetables

Before you start the lentils:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  (If you really enjoy washing dishes, then skip this step.)
• Peel two parsnips* and cut into ¼ inch slices.
• Place on baking sheet, add salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and stir to coat.
• Roast for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure all sides are nicely done.

Lentils:

• ½ an onion, finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1½ cups pink lentils
• 1 tablespoon dried turmeric (and please don’t say “toomeric”)
• 1 carton vegetable broth
• Salt and pepper to taste

To prepare:

• Heat coconut oil in deep skillet or your favorite soup pot.
• Add chopped onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapeño.
• Cook over medium heat until onions are translucent.
• Add turmeric, lentils, and enough broth to cover the ingredients.  Don’t cover the pot. Keep an eye on the lentils because they will quickly absorb most of the broth. Be ready to add more to keep the mixture covered. Watch carefully to make sure the lentils stay moist.
• After about 30 minutes, check to see if your lentils are done (soft). 
• If you have a kavvam, now’s your chance to use it. Roll the long handle between your hands (like you used to do with play-doh) to gently “churn” the lentils.  Michel says they will actually start to glisten as you do this.  The humble lentil deserves to glisten, don’t you agree?
• Turn heat to lowest setting and get to work on your root vegetables.  Stir lentils once in a while to make sure they are behaving themselves.

Root Vegetables

• 2 beets, either the regular red guys or the festive ones if you can find them
• 2 parsnips* (or turnips, etc. if you prefer) 
• ½ an onion
• ½ a lemon or 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 heaping teaspoon cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Enough olive oil for a quick drizzle

By now you’ve put the parsnips in the oven to roast and you’ve given your lentils a good kavvam-ing.  It’s time for some beets.

• Peel the beets and cut into very thin slices, specifically, “as thin as you can get them without cutting your fingers.”  Yes, that’s a direct quote.
• Chop the onion.
• Heat peanut oil in a medium-size skillet.
• Toss in cumin seeds and let them brown for about half a minute. 
• Add chopped onion and sliced beets. Stir.
• Squeeze lemon juice over beet mixture or stir in vinegar.
• Reduce heat to low and cover.
• After 10-15 minutes beets should be done.
• Add roasted parsnips to beet mixture and grab your plate. It’s time to eat. 

Spoon lentils onto your plate and top with root vegetable mixture.  A chopped kale salad is a lovely complement to this dish—for both the eyes and the palate.