I was recently given a young Thai coconut by my dear friend. She knew that I had been looking for this particular type of coconut and found one for me at a local asian market. I debated what I wanted to use it for…noodles in a raw pad thai? Additions to an overnight chia oatmeal? Maybe a variation on my Mango Monster Smoothie?
I finally consulted my "Gastro-Bliss"pin board and remembered this recipe I had been wanting to try. It called for regular coconut milk and also includes chickpeas and spinach. I decided to give it a try, making a number of changes based on my taste and substituted coconut milk made from my young Thai coconut and lentils and kale in place of the chickpeas and spinach. I added a bit of Indian flare with the addition of coriander and cumin.
This recipe brings together three of my favorite ingredients: sweet potatoes, lentils and KALE. (I'm still obsessed). I absolutely love the way the sun-dried tomatoes meld into this dish and mellowed as they cooked (you could easily substitute fresh tomatoes in their place). You can also easily modify this recipe for two. I usually bake 2 sweet potatoes and use half the lentil and kale mixture for dinner and have the leftovers for later to serve over cooked quinoa or couscous.
To make this dish vegan is super easy, too! Just replace the ghee with olive or coconut oil and the chicken broth with vegetable broth or water.
Ingredients
4 large sweet potatoes
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp ghee, plus 1/2 tsp
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 large bunch of kale (about 4 mounded cups or half of a large bag)
Milk from 1 young Thai coconut- see directions below (or substitute 1/2 cup canned coconut milk)
Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tbsp)
1 tsp ground ginger
Hot pepper sauce
Salt
Pepper
Water
Fresh Cilantro, roughly chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Poke sweet potatoes with a knife and place on a foil-lined pan in preheated oven. (You can also place them directly on the rack with a piece of foil under them- to save the bottom of your oven). Roast for 1 hour, or longer…they only get better the longer you roast them.
While potatoes roast, prepare the lentils. Add 1/2 tsp of ghee to a small saucepan and toast the ground coriander and cumin over medium heat until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Pour in chicken broth and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until lentils are tender and absorbed most of the broth, stirring occasionally.
In a large skillet, heat the ghee over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, until they just start to brown. Add garlic, fresh ginger, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes to the pan. Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium and add the cooked lentils to the pan. Stir to incorporate.
Rinse kale and trim the large, central vein out of each leaf and rough chop. Add by the handful to the pan with lentils and stir to combine until wilted. Pour in coconut milk and lemon juice. Add the ground ginger and as much hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper that suites your taste. Reduce heat to meium-low and cook for another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until kale is tender. Add water as needed if the mixture dries out. (I used about 1/4 cup).
Place one sweet potato on each plate and cut in half. Fill with lentil and kale mixture. Top with chopped cilantro and devour!
Young Thai Coconut Milk
(I followed the opening method shown in this informative tutorial video.)
First, getting into the coconut! Resist the urge to take the plastic wrap off of your coconut. Because these coconuts have had their outer green husks removed, they are treated with toxic chemicals like formaldehyde and chlorine to prevent them from molding and turning brown. Don't panic though! None of these chemicals actually get into the coconut itself, so just use caution when handling the outside portion of them.
Placing the coconut on it's side, use a sharp knife to cut off the top, pointy portion of the coconut. Let your knife follow the curve of the nut inside as you shave off large chunks of the white exterior. Once you reach the furry, light brown portion of the coconut, use the heel of your knife (the L-shaped point on your knife at the end of the blade closest to the handle) to strike the coconut at the base of the crown you have revealed. Watch your fingers! You should only have to strike the coconut once or twice in one place. Keep the heel of the knife embedded in the coconut and turn it gently. As you wiggle and twist the blade, a perfectly round piece should pop off the top of the coconut!
Pour the water into a bowl and scrape the meat from the inside. Place the meat in a blender or food processor and add 1/2 cup of the coconut water. (mine was FULL of water when I opened it, so this was about half of the water.) Every coconut is going to have a different ratio of meat to water, so making this milk is not an exact science if you are using only one coconut. If you don't have 1/2 cup of water in your coconut, you can add as much plain water to it to make 1/2 cup. Blend until smooth and enjoy in smoothies, recipes, coffee, or in its pure, unadulterated glory!
