Curried rice and red lentils with Brussels sprouts

Fall is definitively here. The wind is already cold and gusts on morning and afternoons, and you only want to stay at home with you cup of hot tea (or coffee, or herbal tea. I would like to be so healthy, but I can’t). I fancy again hot porridge on mornings, and for me it’s the sign that cold days are already there. And of course, sweet potatoes and chestnuts. I have been living on sweet potatoes lately, but today I ate chestnuts for the first time this autumn. I bought them at school. Yeah, at school: 11 year students (which here is called 4th of ESO, and it’s the last compulsory year) are selling roasted chestnuts in the school café to recollect money for their end of year trip. I think that the authentic fall tastes like chestnuts and sweet potatoes, doesn’t it? It’s common to see people who sells them in the street , especially just before “Castanyada”, a traditional Catalonian celebration which takes place during the All Saints’ Day (although every time more and more people is replacing it with Halloween) and where people eat roasted chestnuts, panellets (small marzipan cakes) and sweet wine. We even saw Trick ‘r Treat,— Michael Dougherty horror film—in English class! 

I have posted recipes with pumpkin and sweet potatoes so far (chestnuts and panellets are in my “to do list”, but  I have sun a little bit other wonderful vegetables like….Brussels sprouts, for example. I don’t know why there are so much Brussels sprouts haters.  I can understand spinach haters or even chard haters—although I love this veggies as well—….but what is wrong with Brussels sprouts? I love eating mine plain, just steamed and with a drizzle of olive oil on top (like a lot of veggies), but sometimes I fancy something different. Brussels sprouts is not the kind of veggie you usually put in your slow and long cooking dishes, but I decided to try. The result was today’s recipe.

Curried rice and red lentils with Brussels sprouts I haven’t used too much curry in this recipe, so if you like your curried dishes spicy consider adding a little bit more. The coconut milk makes it even milder, and cooking it on a low heat and whole softens the Brussels sprouts without making them fall apart. Feel free to try it with other kind of rice (white rice, Arborio, basmanti rice…), but be careful with the cooking time. From: original recipe Serves: 3-4 1 tsp curry powder 1/2 tsp garam masala 1 onion, chopped 5 tbsp tomato paste 1/2 cup brown rice, half cooked 2 pears in quarters 1 cup Brussels sprouts 1 cup water 2 cups shredded cabbage 1 cup red lentils 1 cup stock 125 ml coconut milk more water if needed salt oil Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in a saucepan. Add 1 tsp of curry powder, 1/2 tsp of garam masala and cook for a couple of minutes on a low heat (don't burn it!)Add the chopped onion, about 5 tbsp of tomato paste and the half-cooked 1/2 cup of rice. Cook for 5 minutes more. Add one cup of water or stock, salt (if you are using water), and cover for 10 minutes. Stir the shredded cabbage, one cup of red lentils, 125 ml of coconut milk and another cup of stock. Cook on a low heat until the rice is well cooked and the lentils are falling apart. It must be a moist dish, so add more stock or water if needed.