Indian Lentils and Rutabaga

I know, I know - lentils and rutabaga? Sounds like bad tasting hippy health food at its worst, but really, this was delicious! I've been experimenting with sprouting grains recently, and I had a bunch of lentil sprouts that desperately needed to be used, plus that big local rutabaga that's been sitting around for way too long....so....what the heck? I went for it!

I started with some chopped ginger and local garlic sauteing in butter, adding a liberal amount of garam masala powder, along with turmeric and coriander. I just love the aroma that Indian spices give - immediately the whole house smelled great!

I chopped up two of the tiny local yellow onions I had gotten at the market last week and threw them in the mix.

This (for those who don't know) is a rutabaga - one of the most under-appreciated of all vegetables. It's a little like a turnip but sweeter and earthier. Rutabagas get sweeter as they age...they're just wonderful this time of year! I've been known to eat raw rutabagas in the middle of winter - they make a delicious local snack. I also especially like them in a spicy curry, which is what I was going for in this recipe.

I peeled the rutabaga (I usually don't peel things, but rutabaga skin is just too tough), chopped it up and added half of it it to the pan, cooking it for about 5 minutes with the spices. The whole root was too much for this dish, so I saved the other half for later.

When the rutabaga was beginning to get soft I added the lentil sprouts. I'll blog about sprouting when I feel like I've mastered it a little more - it's been really hit and miss so far. These turned out good though.

When the lentils had mixed with everything else and began to cook, I added a few cups of my homemade yogurt and let the whole thing simmer for about 5 or 6 more minutes, until the rutabaga was cooked but still firm. The lentil sprouts didn't need much time at all - that's one of the advantages to sprouting - it cuts way down on cooking time.

I added a bit more garam masala, turmeric, and salt, and it was done!

Here's the finished product. The sweetness and slight crunch of the rutabaga was a perfect compliment to the spicy tangy yogurt sauce and the hearty lentils. Maybe I'm a hippy after all!

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Indian Lentils and Rutabaga

3 Tablespoons butter
Chopped ginger
Chopped garlic
Garam masala powder
Turmeric powder (or fresh if you can get it.)
Coriander powder
1 medium chopped onion
1 medium (or 1/2 large) rutabaga, peeled and cubed
2-3 cups lentil sprouts
2-3 cups yogurt (enough to make it saucy.)
Salt to taste

Saute ginger, garlic and spices in butter over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes. Add onion and continue to cook until onion is translucent. Add rutabaga and cook for about 5 more minutes. Add lentils and cook a few more minutes. Add enough yogurt to almost cover vegetables and continue cooking over low heat until rutabaga is cooked but not mushy. Add salt and extra spices to taste.

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