Serves 4-6 portions
75 g yellow moong lentils
75 g red masoor lentils
75 g kodo or varagu millet (or white raw rice)
4 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 tbsp cumin seeds
8 cloves garlic, chopped fine
3 inch piece ginger, julienne
3 no green chilli, chopped fine
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp black peppercorns, whole
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 no bottle gourd, peeled and diced
1 no carrot, diced
60 g green beans, cut into ½ cm segments
75 g broccoli, cut into small florets
50 g green peas (frozen)
50g baby spinach (or chopped kale)
¼ bunch fresh coriander, chopped fine
1 tsp garam masala powder
salt
1 tsp ghee (optional)

Wash and soak lentils for roughly 30 minutes; strain and set aside.

Wash and soak millets for roughly 20 mins; strain and set aside.

Heat oil in a large, thick-bottomed pot; add cumin seeds and sauté until they darken, add garlic, ginger and green chilli and sauté for a couple of minutes.

Add onions and sauté until lightly browned. (roughly 8-10 minutes)

Add black peppercorns, turmeric powder and mix well. Add lentils, millets and bottle gourd; stir-fry for couple of minutes. Add 1 litre water, stir gently and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and cook for a further 12-14 minutes. Check every 5 minutes or so and add more water if required – it should be quite soupy at this stage. Once the lentils are cooked, add broccoli, carrots and beans and cook for 3 minutes, then add petit pois and spinach (or kale) and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Once cooked, turn off the heat. Add chopped coriander, garam masala, salt and ghee and mix well.