The Sailing Chef: Umpty

 Note: this is a series giving the recipes and photo steps of The Captain’s cooking. For anyone thinking that meals aboard a sailboat means cold packaged food or biscuits and water, think again. THIS Captain believes in eating, and eating well. And, boy can he cook! However, we still are cooking on a sailboat and must make do with what we have on hand, so at times there are more options for being on land! Also you’ll see that the amounts can be vague, trust the overall feel of the dish and smell your way thru it.

UMPTY (red lentils with Indian spices)
Time: 1 hour

Ingredients: Red Lentils, Veg. Oil, cumin seed, mustard seed (black), powdered cyanine pepper, black pepper, ground coriander, large yellow onion, fenugreek seed, turmeric, coconut, ½ fresh tomato, 1 lemon, brown sugar, salt, fresh coriander, Hot Curry Paste (Brand; MADRID).

Process: Boil 1-1/2 cups red lentils. Cooked soft and mushy. Set aside.

Cover bottom of a pan with Veg. Oil, sauté cumin seed, mustard seed, cyanine pepper and ground coriander until the mustard seeds pop. Add ½ large Onion (chopped coarse) until translucent, as onions get close…add Lg. tsp MADRID Hot Curry Paste and 1 tsp fenugreek seed. Wait to smell it cooking. Add turmeric and ¼ cup coconut (chopped with sugar or without is Okay) but only for a short time before you add the Lentils and 2 cups of water. Add ½ chopped tomato, juice of 1 fresh lemon, 1 rounded TBLS brown sugar (unless you used coconut with sugar, then you can add less).

Cook 30 minutes, stirring as needed. Add salt to taste. Serve over Basmati Rice with fresh chopped Cilantro sprinkled on top.