Author Notes
When it comes to breakfast, lentils are one of the most underused sources of protein, I find. You are likely to encounter recipes that ask for every nut under the sun but not lentils. They hardly ever seem to inspire more than the staid old soup, stew or salad. But I hope this recipe will change your mind, shake up your morning monotony and add a little bit of sweetness to your lentil repertoire.
This is a soupy, filling and very energizing drink that traditionally combines cooked lentils with fresh coconut milk, cow's milk and jaggery. Because running in search of ingredients isn't exactly my cup of lentils, I often use a combination of the equally nutritious and more readily available molasses with some raw sugar. —Kala Ganapathy
Ingredients
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1/4 cup
mung dal/bean
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3-4 tablespoons
ground jaggery or combination of raw sugar + blackstrap molasses
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1/4 cup
full fat coconut milk
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1/2 - 3/4 cups
soy milk (to thin as necessary)
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1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground cardamom
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3-4 pieces
cashews, broken into bits
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1 teaspoon
dried currants or chopped raisins
Directions
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Toast the lentils in a dry skillet on low heat until aromatic. Don't brown them.
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Transfer the lentils to a pan. Add a cup of water and cook them until really soft. You may need to add more water. Lentils can burn easily so please be mindful.
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Once cooked, mash them well with the back of a spoon.
Sweeten the lentils with jaggery or molasses-sugar combination and add ground cardamom and coconut milk. Stir to combine on low heat until warmed through.
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Let it sit for a bit to allow the flavours to marry and fully develop. Garnish with nuts and dried fruit. Serve hot, warm, at room temperature or cold.
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