Note that there are actually 2 tweaked recipes in this post
This is the second recipe
When it said healthy and anti-inflammatory how would I not be intrigued to find out more?
This is what the YouTube video that popped up in my feed from The Doctor's Kitchen mentioned, and if it can be of good gut health too, why not?
That's because lentils are one of the ingredients that is microbiome friendly and meant for gut health
I straight away went sourcing the thrift vegetable section for the newly released "starting to expire vegetable" at half price, but the meat, I made sure they are either freshly chilled or frozen. Yes a lot may argue that due to the vegetable nutrients deteriorate more than half when it is starting to expire, but there are still some good ones, and that's what I will make sure my stew has it.
I made sure that the orange (or red) lentil is more so that the colour remains more of an orange type, yet having a multi-colour range of lentils does have some benefits because some will posses better fibre while some may have more potassium.
Instead of using chili flakes as suggested in the video and the recipe site I have modified it with capsicum (red bell-peppers) as it is less intense with some anti-inflammatory benefits
Once everything is diced nicely, it's time to get it start cooking and blending. As the minimum threshold for a proper blend is 500ml, the portion would be a little bigger, but I can still set some base apart to freeze (and that's where the 2nd recipe comes in) to avoid wastage.
Once the Helper proceed with work, I took the opportunity to make some of the "chunks". It won't be called a "stew" if there are no solids in this dish 😂
The "Chunks"
Potato, fish balls and some crab sticks was all I had in the pantry (from mom's previous purchase), and I added additional Vietnamese Basil (which is not in the recipe) given from my mom's friend just to make sure quick perishable vegetables are used up to prevent wastage.
The aromatics
According to the recipe, Star Anise and Mustard seeds were the ones suggested, but since my pantry only has Indian Spice (that also has cumin and fennel seeds) I used those instead and made sure cloves and cardamon were not included.
It still provides a very fragrant aroma, and if bedrooms are close to the kitchen (like my small space), better keep the doors closed!
Once the aromatics are ready, I poured half of the ready cooked sauce to mix before transferring all into a pot ready for the chunks.
Time to "Assemble" the Stew
diced crab sticks and fish balls
baby spinach
The proteins go in first because the baby spinach will break down faster, and also, since dad is a bigger protein fan, I'd put just enough greens for the meal and keep the rest fresh for the next reheat batch for fresh green nutrients. Good thing that the "starting to expire vegetables" with proper packaging were still quite fresh, I had more salvaged for half of its price.
Seasonings
As usual, the organic mushroom seasoning granules are my primary choice for a better compliment to the already boiling fish balls in it.
But since it is supposed to be a "tomato stew" as well, I added additional tomato ketchup (yes it is not so good) since I do not have tomato puree in the pantry.
And then, salt to taste is the way to end it
Great as soup (if diluted a bit), or a nice sauced-up rice dish with its chunky ingredients.
Alternate version—Pumpkin version
Since I already have a frozen block, I decided to repurpose it a little different with more beta-carotene ingredients—namely pumpkins and carrots
I found a halved small pumpkin kept in the fridge that my mom totally forgotten, and since I have only one stove and it is tawing "the block" of stew and I am too lazy to fire up the oven, air-fry is the way to go.
Coating the copped pumpkins with oil (in this case I still use the red palm oil that is rich in beta-carotene too) before I send it to fry for 5 minutes in 160 deg C.
It turned out lightly fried and not too hard after 5 minutes, perfect to be added into the newly thawed stew.
One thing I have noticed that air fried diced pumpkins are sturdier and won't melt too quickly, providing a "pillow-y" soft bite that is sweeter to the salted (slightly tangy) stew
Of course, fresh addition Vietnamese basil and spinach is a must for the final product!
Of course, I also added some oyster sauce just to twist the taste a little different for dad (so that he won't feel that he is eating the same old thing again), and that's all good, ready for another bowl of rice. 😁
What I used (for the base):
- 10cc cup of green lentil and yellow lentil
- 20cc cup of red lentils
- 1 red capsicum
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 3 stalks of celery (optional: I add in because I found it sitting in the fridge)
What I used (for the chunks):
- 1 potato
- 1 stalk of carrot
- protein (of your own choice, mine was just fish balls and crab stick)
- diced pumpkin (approx 50g)
What I used (for aromatic and taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon of Indian spice (-) cardamon, cloves, cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon of mushroom seasoning
- salt to taste
- tomato sauce to taste (optional)
- oyster sauce to taste (optional)
- a tiny bit of turmeric
- a tiny bit of garam masala (to taste because I just have them)
I must say I am not an ultimate chef, and everyone has their different taste pallet. You can still follow the recipe strictly, and I might do that again with the exact suggestions and freeze them as blocks once I got my silicone tray ordered.
What do you think?
Would you give a similar try a similar approach with this recipe, or would you go all out for the curry version like the original recipe which actually looks pretty yummy as well?
Until Then
Stay healthy, stay curious and learn new things, and stay happy!
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