Sweet, sour, and spicy lentil soup ala Dewi Desi

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 100 g lentils, brown, dried
• 500 ml coconut water
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar, black
• 8 small onions, red
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 4 medium-sized garlic cloves
• 2 small green chili peppers (cabe rawit hijau)
• 1 medium-sized potato(s), waxy
• 80 g carrot(s)
• 2 tbsp, heaped Kailan (Chinese broccoli), stems only, fresh or frozen
• 5 g vegetable stock powder or chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cloves
• 8 cm cinnamon stick(s)
• 1 pinch(s) cardamom powder
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce (saus tiram)
• 2 tbsp Arak Masak
• 80 g coconut milk (24% fat)
• e.g. Kailan (Chinese broccoli), the flowers and Lengkeng fruits, fresh or canned (alternatively Rambutan)
• n. B. flowers and leaves

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 35 minutes; Total time approx. 12 hours 55 minutes

This coconut-flavored lentil soup will delight not only soup lovers.

Wash the lentils and shake dry. Place them in a bowl with enough coconut water to cover them. Leave to soak overnight at room temperature, adding more coconut water if necessary. Place the lentils and their soaking liquid in a 2-liter saucepan (with a lid). Add the remaining coconut water and rice wine vinegar. Trim both ends of the onions, peel them, and roughly chop them. Fry them in the sunflower oil until translucent and add to the lentils. Trim both ends of the garlic cloves, peel them, and slice them crosswise into thin slices. Wash the small green chilies and slice them crosswise into thin slices. Leave the seeds on and discard the stems. Wash the potatoes, peel them, and halve them lengthwise, then halve the halves lengthwise and then quarter them crosswise. Trim both ends of a small carrot, peel it, and slice it crosswise into approximately 3 mm thick slices. Halve larger slices. Wash the fresh kailan and separate the leaves from the stem. Separate the woody stem above the first leaf and discard. Separate the thin leaf stalks from the leaves along the midrib, halving the leaves lengthwise. Cut the leaf stalks and stem crosswise into thin rolls. Chop the leaves. Freeze any unused lentils. Measure and thaw frozen lentils. Bring the lentils to a simmer and add all the ingredients, from the garlic to the kailan stems, and stir in. Add the vegetable stock powder along with the spices and oyster sauce, mix, and simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes. Mix the coconut milk with the rice wine and add to the lentil soup. Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves. Divide the finished lentil soup among serving bowls, garnish, and serve warm.