Rare as lentils sound to our local dishes, supermarkets or grocery stores here in Hong Kong are not showing much enthusiasm in stocking them. Only in a few sizeable or specialty stores, ones selling Indian foods in particular, could I locate this legume. But to me, it is worth searching for.

Although I’m not a vegetarian, I often prepare meatless meals. To supplement our diet with enough nutritions, I like making tofu or soy bean eats, and this protein-rich lentil provides me with another access to variations.

Perhaps I’m not the first one to tell you how beneficial it is to eat lentils. In case I am, you may also want to read these details: in addition to being a good source of protein and an excellent source of soluble fiber and, manganese, iron, phosphorous, copper, vitamin B1 and potassium, lentils are an excellent source of molybdenum, a mineral important in the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and iron (nytimes.com).

I think I was most inspired by the Indian way of cooking this legume dish to give it a hint of spiciness. However, I did not need to stew the orange lentils for too long because they were pre-soaked and pulverized. The puree quickly built up their tastes when simmered together with a few spices. And the final sauce turned the seemingly drab cauliflower into a vibrant dish full of robust flavors.

It is definitely a good choice to serve this with rice. But equally irresistible is to lick clean the dish with some nice Indian flatbread … like these naan from Kristy at kristygourmet.blogspot.com.

• Ingredients
• 300g cauliflower
• 4 tbsp orange lentil
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 cloves shallot, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste, dilute it with 1-2 tbsp water
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• sliced spring onion for garnishing