Simple, vegan lentil noodles with coconut tomato sauce and roasted pumpkin seeds

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• some olive oil for frying
• 1 onion(s)
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 1 small piece(s) of ginger root
• 150 ml water, hot
• 1 can of coconut milk, 400 g each
• 250 g tomatoes
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• e.g. chili flakes
• salt and pepper
• 1 pack of red lentil noodles (300 g each)
• some pumpkin seeds
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

Due to its iron content, it is ideal for pregnancy, can be used as a one-pot pasta variant for those in a hurry, and is also very tasty as a salad

Wash or peel the vegetables. Dice the tomatoes, dice the onion, press or chop the garlic, and grate or finely chop the ginger. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and sauté the onions, garlic, and ginger. Pour in the hot water and coconut milk. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir in the vegetable stock cube. Add chili flakes, salt, and pepper to taste. I first stirred in 2 teaspoons of chili flakes, 6 pinches of salt, and 3 pinches of pepper. If you’re not adding the ginger fresh, I recommend 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of ginger powder. It’s better to add less at first and season later. Let the sauce simmer with the lid uncovered. Meanwhile, cook the lentil noodles in a large pot as directed on the package. After the cooking time, drain the noodles and add them to the sauce. Reduce the liquid, stirring constantly, until the desired consistency is reached. Taste the dish and adjust the seasoning if necessary. While the sauce is cooking, roast the pumpkin seeds. Once the pasta and sauce have reached the desired consistency, remove the pot from the heat and stir in about 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Divide the pasta among plates, garnish with the pumpkin seeds, and serve. Notes: I also used a frozen 6-herb mix for garnishing because I simply like the fresh taste. However, you shouldn’t use too much of this, as the herbs could easily overpower the flavor of the sauce. I ground the pumpkin seeds and used them as a substitute for Parmesan cheese because dairy products inhibit iron absorption. The vitamin C in the lemon juice promotes iron absorption. This dish can also be prepared as a one-pot pasta dish for those in a hurry. For the sauce, replace the ingredients listed above with onion, garlic, and ginger powder, a 400g can of chopped tomatoes, and one liter of water. Add the pasta immediately and simmer, watching and stirring constantly. If the pasta hasn’t reached the desired consistency but the sauce is almost reduced, simply add more hot water and continue simmering. Just before the desired consistency is reached, season the dish again to taste. Then remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Divide the pasta among plates and garnish with a few frozen herbs, if desired—a 6-herb blend or mint works very well—and some pumpkin seeds. Leftovers are also perfect as a salad the next day or prepared directly for the next party. To do this, stir in some chopped mixed fresh or frozen herbs, a few fresh tomatoes, and some roasted pumpkin seeds into the cooled pasta. Mint, halved cherry tomatoes, and a few toasted coconut flakes also work well.