I am ANIL UZUN, and today I will give two recipes for a proper lunch. A proper and a plant-based lunch. If you follow me for some time, you may know that I am a huge supporter of sustainable and plant-based eating. Most of the people have difficulty in cooking plant-based. It is very easy. If you want a tip just veganize your favourite dish. You can switch the meat with tofu or whole foods such as lentils.
Lentils are very rich in protein. Here you will find a very tasty plant-based dahl recipe. Here we go.
Coconut & lentil dahl
Most people prefer to have a quick sandwich at lunch. But ı believe the zen of eating and a ewarm dish would be my first choice when it comes to lunch. Coconut lentil dahl is a recipe from a chef friend of mine from Asia.
When you are cooking plant based you find it difficult to create a rich and creamy taste. In this recipe coconut will be the creamy base and combined with tomatoes, cumin, paprika, chilli and curry powder you will swim in the sea of flavours.
The ingredients for coconut & lentil dahl
Half a kilogram green lentils
1 litre of full-fat coconut milk
3 garlic cloves
2 large tomatoes,
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon hot chilli powder
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
The method for coconut & lentil dahl
Wash the lentil, cut the tomatoes in cubes, peel and smash the garlic cloves. Tos the garlic with olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add salt. Stir for 2 minutes and add cumin, curry, paprika, and chilli. Toss the tomatoes. Stir occasionally. You will smell the garlic, spices and tomatoes combined. Add salt if needed.
Wash and drain the lentils and add them in the pan. Pour the coconut milk. Let the mix boil and then simmer over a low heat. Do not cover the pan and leave to cook for at least one hour. You need to stir in every 15 minutes otherwise dahl will stick to the pan. If needed add water. Serve dahl with avocado, chilli flakes and coconut yoghurt.
The second recipe is desert. A healthy and delicious one. It is an energy ball for a sweet afternoon.
Cacao & almond energy ball
I love making balls because they are convenient to eat on the go. Bite-sized servings would be perfect for house parties and they give you energy. They boost your mood. What else would somebody want from a desert? The ingredients are to serve 12 balls.
The ingredients for cacao & almond energy ball
200g almonds
400g medjool dates
4 tablespoons raw cacao powder
2 ½ tablespoons almond butter
2 tablespoons coconut oil
The method for cacao & almond energy ball
Toss the almonds in a food processor and grate them fine. Add the dates. If dates are not soft enough to process you can soak them in hot water for an hour. Pour the coconut oil and pulse for a minute. Check if the ingredients are fully mixed or not. Add cacao and almond butter. Pulse for another minute and check. The mixture shall be soft enough to be rolled. When its ready, take a spoon of the mixture and roll it into a ball. But the energy balls into the freezer for around 1 hour, then remove and store in an airtight container in the fridge.