My Sprouted-Lentil Dahl

Lately, I have really gotten into sprouting. Not just making salad sprouts from seeds like alfalfa, sunflower, and the like. But sprouting as many grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds as possible. Sprouting creates an amazingly beneficial transformation in the foods that we eat. It greatly increases the nutritional yield and accessibility found in foods, enables built-in enzymes to aid in digestion, and magically transforms these foods into vegetables. It is a win-win and well worth the effort.

Sprouting is easy, though takes a little forethought. For more information about how to sprout, click HERE, HERE, or HERE. In the least, soaking grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds before eating raw, cooking, or dehydrating is also super beneficial. I will describe my lentil sprouting process below in the recipe.

This recipe is intended to be made with sprouted lentils, but can also be made with non-sprouted lentils. Either way, this recipe is jam-packed with great tastes and nutritional power. Enjoy!

SPROUTED-LENTIL DAHL:
2 cups dry green lentils
water
1 medium sweet potato, chopped
1 stick burdock root, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and finely grated
1/2 inch piece of fresh tumeric, peeled and finely grated
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbls oil
1 Tbls cumin seeds
1 tsp red chili flakes
1 Tbls coriander seeds, crushed
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 heaping Tbls tamarind paste
1 Tbls honey
1 cup basmati rice, soaked for several hours, rinsed, and then cooked as normal

* 3 days or so before preparing this dish, soak the lentils in a bowl with water. Make sure there is a few inches of water above the lentils, as they will absorb a lot of it. Soak for 12 hours+. Drain lentils, rinse, and drain again. Let stand in bowl, non-refrigerated. Rinse the lentils 2-3 times a day, or whenever they appear to be dry, draining well each time. Do not refrigerate. They will start to sprout within a day or so, depending on the weather. Allow the white sprout to grow to about 1/8-1/4 inch in length. At this point, you can eat the lentils raw, (they are tasty on salads or as they are!) or refrigerate until you are ready to cook the dahl.

* Place the sprouted lentils in a soup-pot. Add 2 cups of water, vegetables, garlic, tumeric, ginger, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

* Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet. Add cumin seeds and red chili flakes. Cook for 5 minutes while stirring. Be advised, air ventilation is highly recommended during this phase! The frying chili flakes can lead to some coughing fits if there isn't good ventilation! Add to lentils, along with other spices, tamarind, and honey. Continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes.

* Remove from heat. Blend half of the lentils in blender and return to unblended lentils in pot. Alternatively, use an immersion blender to partially blend all of the lentils. Add water to reach desired consistency. Add more salt if neccessary.

* Serve over rice and enjoy! Serves approximately 4.