Mung Beans with Carrots and Cashews

Lucy from Nourish Me's re-working of a "revolting" cookbook recipe for mung beans to create what she calls an "inauthentic dal" looked to me so wholesome, attractive and tasty that I figured nothing could be wrong with adding my own little tweaks to make it even more inauthentic!

Apart from making Lucy's wonderful recipe just a little spicier — my trademark, I suppose — I fried up the garlic, ginger, dried red chilli and curry leave spicing to draw out their flavours in a bit of oil before cooking with the mung beans, and fried the carrots and cashews a little as well to preserve some of the crispness of the carrots while they're being cooked and, well, because I love the fragrance and character of fried cashews. The result, much like Lucy's, is a light, warming and nourishing dal that's so easy to digest it's a pleasure going back for seconds and thirds. Thank you, Lucy!

Mung beans with carrots and cashews

1 1/2 cups dried mung beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1-inch piece of ginger, minced
4 medium carrots, chopped
1/2 cup raw cashews, chopped
4 dried hot red chillies
8-10 curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 14 oz. can of coconut milk
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, packed
1 teaspoon sea salt
juice of 1 lime
1 hot green chilli, thinly sliced for garnish

Rinse the mung beans under cold running water in a strainer. Soak overnight in a large bowl with 5 cups of cold water with a little yogurt whey or lemon juice added to break down the enzyme inhibitors and phytates that block the absorption of the beans' essential minerals and proteins.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 1 minute. Toss in the carrots and continue to fry, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the cashews and fry for another 5 minutes, or until they just start to change colour.

Toss in the dried chillies and curry leaves and stir for 30 more seconds before pouring in the beans along with their soaking liquid, as well as the turmeric, cayenne and brown sugar. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. As soon as it is boiling, reduce the heat to low, stir in the coconut milk, and cover. Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally, until the beans are soft and tender.

Add the spinach and simmer for another 10 minutes to wilt the leaves. Just before serving, stir in the salt and lime juice. Garnish each serving with green chillies.

Serves 6 to 8.