This delicious vegan lentil salad is made with soaked and steamed split mung lentils. These lentils are also called mung beans|moong dal |payatham paruppu| |pesara pappu| in various Indian languages.
Inspiration for this dish:
This dish is inspired from a traditional tamil recipe called Paruppu Usili – that is a super delicious, traditional recipe!!
In this modern version, I decided to take the steamed and shredded lentils and make a salad with diced veggies topped with balsamic Vinaigrette and it turned out yummy and filling!!
Soak + Steam turns lentils into grain like texture:
Most lentils cooking involves soup based ideas, because you cook it and it turns to mush.
But, if you soak and steam it, the lentil starts behaving like a grain. This wonderful cooking technique (found in paruppu usili dishes) is a great technique to make lentils into a main dish item.
Step by Step Pics
Soak the split mung lentils (easily available in Indian grocery stores) for a few hours…
Drain the lentils
Ground into a paste without any/ very little water. Fill a steamer (here I have used an Indian device – called idli thattu) with the mixture and steam for 10-15 minutes.
Pierce with a fork and check if the steamed lentils are cooked all the way through.
Shred the steamed lentil cakes with a shredder. Alternatively, use the pulse mode in a food processor.
Chop salad veggies into small squares.
Prepare Vinaigrette, pour over lentil, veggies and mix.
Recipe
Vegan protein rich lentil salad!! This vegetable packed salad is so healthy, yet super- delicious!! Lentils and Veggies in a tangy balsamic dressing. A great lentil dinner recipe idea for meatless monday.
- 1 cup Split lentils (Moong Dal or mung beans)
- 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
- 1/4 cup Diced Sweet onions
- 1/3 cup Chopped cucumber
- 1/3 cup Chopped tomatoes
- 1/3 cup Chopped Yellow Pepper
- 2-3 Tbsp Roasted Sunflower seeds
- 2-3 Tbsp Roasted Walnuts chopped
- 2-3 Tbsp Raisins
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Soak 1 cup split lentils (moong dal) in 2 cups of water for 2-3 hours.
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Drain the lentils. Pour drained lentils in food processor/mixie and grind to a paste without adding water. Add 1-2 tbsp water only if necessary.
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Fill idli (or any steam plates) with the mixture and steam for 10-15 minutes.
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Pierce with a fork and check if the steamed lentils are cooked all the way through.
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Once cool, shred the steamed lentil cakes manually with a shredder. Alternatively, use the pulse mode in a food processor.
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Chop salad veggies into small squares.
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Prepare Balsamic Vinaigrette - 1:2 Vinegar: Olive Oil + Salt + Pepper and whisk till it forms an emulsion.
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Pour vinaigrette over lentil, veggies and mix.
You can steam the lentils the previous night and then refrigerate them for later use.
Other than this salad, you can also use the shredded lentils for a quick and nourishing stir fry anytime if you have them handy in the fridge.
Conclusion
I hope you like this fusion recipe. The raw veggies makes this a low-glycemic salad. The steamed lentils give the texture of a grain, but the full feeling of a protein. This is a great meal option for vegans too.
Tip – Even if you don’t have the exact lentils in your pantry, you could use the same technique above with whatever type you have. Just increase the soaking/steaming time if the lentils are of thicker variety to ensure thorough cooking.
I hope you give this recipe a try. Do post your comments/feedback below. I look forward to them as usual!!
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Hi Swetha, for the balsamic vinegar do we use Rice vinegar or white wine vinegar? I have not had viengar in my pantry but I find most salad dressings are vinegar based. I have also read vinegar being used for deep cleaning purpose so was always hesitent to include in cooking 🙂 Would appreicate your observation on using vinegar in cooking esp in salads/fried rice/noodles. Thanks Swetha
Hi Samyuktha,
The type of vinegar is based on the ingredient it is made from. Balsamic vinegar is made from grapes, Rice vinegar is made from rice and White wine vinegar made from white wine. While I personally like the taste of balsamic vinegar, you can substitute in this recipe with any vinegar you have at home.
Regarding your ques about safety – Vinegar is acidic in nature, but it is just like using lemon juice or tamarind. My mom used to use left over tamarind to clean her pooja vessels; but we still use tamarind in cooking, right? Many cultures (Italian, Chinese, etc) have used vinegar for centuries without problems. So, I think using it here and there to make your salads, noodles etc should be completely fine. You can easily substitute lemon juice if you are still worried, but it is a watery ingredient compared to vinegar (which has a more sharp taste).
Very well articulated Swetha, esp on the Q of vinegar used for cleansing purpose….I used to think in the same lines of baking soda too! I think I will go for the rice variety for a start!!
Great!! Rice vinegar is a good choice to get started.