“Summer is here
Too hot to eat,
Wish there was a shortcut
To a feast.
A lazy peoples meal
That needs not much,
A pop in the mouthKind of lunch.
With a fan in one hand
I thought,
Oh! let me put my
Meal in a pot.
Thus I pleased
Those slothful few,
They ate their lentils
And the bowl too.”
Ingredients
For the Tart
1 cup wholewheat flour
½ cup warm water
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon carom seed powder (ajwain)
Salt to taste
For the filling
1 cup green, red of yellow lentils, boiled (you can even mix them up in equal proportions for a healthy & colorful variation!)
2 teaspoons garlic paste
1 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped
½ cup onions, cut lengthwise
½ cup tomatoes, chopped (or canned tomatoes)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup cabbage leaves, chopped
½ green pepper, diced
A ping of asafetida powder (hing)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and chili to taste
Make the Tart:
Pre heat the oven to 200 degree C.
Mix all the ingredients and knead into a smooth dough, taking care its not too soft or wet. Divide the dough into 4-5 portions, and roll out a 3.5-4 inch circles from each. Grease a muffin or cupcake mould and press the rolled out dough into each cavity, pressing down the edges to create a shell. Grease the dough all over slightly with a brush. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Once the dough has set and partially cooked, you should be able to pull out the shells without spoiling the shape. Pull out each shell and turn it over so the it cooks evenly on both sides. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, or till the crust has completely cooked.
Remove from the oven and cool.
Make the Filling:
Boil the lentils in 1 cup of water along with the onions and tomatoes. Drain any excess water once boiled, and keep aside to cool.
In a pan, heat some oil and add the cumin seeds, garlic and ginger and cook till the seeds begin to splutter. Mix in the cabbage and peppers and stir on high flame for a few minutes till the vegetables start to brown, but are still crisp. Add the lentils, asafetida powder, salt and chilli and stir on high flame till the mixture is completely dry and begins to look pasty. Remove from heat.
Fill approximately 3-4 tablespoons of the filling into the tarts. Finish with a sprinkle of lime juice and chopped coriander. A wholesome meal on it’s own!