Rain or shine, winter melon is soothing anytime and easily pairs with greens.
And it cooks in 1 min , so another incentive to use the melon in soups and curries.
To make red sauce:
1/4 cup grated coconut (fresh or unsweetened dried)
3-4 dried red chillies
An inch tamarind
For the soup:
1/2 cup organic yellow lentils soaked for 1 hr
1.25 cups winter melon chunks
5 large leaves of Swiss Chard(kale will do as well) coarsely chopped
1.5 tsp natural sea salt
Seasoning:
1 tsp mustard seeds
A spring of curry leaves
1.5tsp coconut oil for seasoning
Method:
If using an Instant Pot, cook the melon chunks with some water in Steam mode for 0 mins. Keep them aside.
Dry Roast the dried red chillies in a stir fry pan for few seconds and blend them together with the tamarind and coconut with water or broth if any, from steaming the melon. Blend till the paste is smooth .
Wash the lentils after soaking.
Turn on the Instant Pot in Sauté mode, add a tsp of coconut oil and then the mustard seeds.
Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the curry leaves . Sauté for few seconds and mix in the lentils.
Stir in the coconut paste and add salt . Add water just enough to soak the lentils. Stir the lentils so that the sauce and spices are evenly mixed. Cancel the Sauté mode and switch to Pressure Cook mode .
Cook on high for 15 mins .
In the meantime , Sauté the coarsely chopped chard in coconut oil until cooked .
Once the pot is cooled, mix in the melon and chard with the lentils and simmer for 5 minutes.
If you don’t have Instant Pot, cook the winter melon and lentils using normal stovetop method .
You could use 1.5 tsp rice vinegar if you don’t have tamarind.
And it cooks in 1 min , so another incentive to use the melon in soups and curries.
To make red sauce:
1/4 cup grated coconut (fresh or unsweetened dried)
3-4 dried red chillies
An inch tamarind
For the soup:
1/2 cup organic yellow lentils soaked for 1 hr
1.25 cups winter melon chunks
5 large leaves of Swiss Chard(kale will do as well) coarsely chopped
1.5 tsp natural sea salt
Seasoning:
1 tsp mustard seeds
A spring of curry leaves
1.5tsp coconut oil for seasoning
Method:
If using an Instant Pot, cook the melon chunks with some water in Steam mode for 0 mins. Keep them aside.
Dry Roast the dried red chillies in a stir fry pan for few seconds and blend them together with the tamarind and coconut with water or broth if any, from steaming the melon. Blend till the paste is smooth .
Wash the lentils after soaking.
Turn on the Instant Pot in Sauté mode, add a tsp of coconut oil and then the mustard seeds.
Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the curry leaves . Sauté for few seconds and mix in the lentils.
Stir in the coconut paste and add salt . Add water just enough to soak the lentils. Stir the lentils so that the sauce and spices are evenly mixed. Cancel the Sauté mode and switch to Pressure Cook mode .
Cook on high for 15 mins .
In the meantime , Sauté the coarsely chopped chard in coconut oil until cooked .
Once the pot is cooled, mix in the melon and chard with the lentils and simmer for 5 minutes.
If you don’t have Instant Pot, cook the winter melon and lentils using normal stovetop method .
You could use 1.5 tsp rice vinegar if you don’t have tamarind.
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