Ingredients

Filling:

1 onion diced
1 tbsp rosemary
1 tbsp thyme
1 rapunzel veggie stock cube
1 cup dried split red lentils soaked and sprouted (or 2 cups cooked)
1 cup dried French green lentils soaked and sprouted (or 2 cups cooked)
2-3 carrots grated
2 zucchinis grated
1/3 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup tamari
4 tbsp olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste

Topping:

4-5 large sweet mashed potato or kumara
1/3 cup savoury yeast (optional)

Glass baking dish 33 x 23 x 6cm.

*Optional sprouting of lentils:

Soaking your lentils has a few benefits:

• cook quicker
• digest easier
• makes nutrients readily absorbable.

Soaking lentils removes phytic acid which can block nutrient absorption. In addition, you can sprout your lentils until they grow little tails, this makes them more nutritious with sprouted lentils having a higher content of Vitamin C and B compared to their dried counterparts.

Soaking and sprouting takea a little more organisation so if you want to make the pie as a last-minute dish you can use canned lentils instead or make the whole dish from red split lentils which cook quickly when boiled.

Directions for sprouting

If using dried lentils soak them overnight in filtered water (make sure you fill with 3-4cm extra water on top as the lentil mixture will soak it up).

Option: to sprout the lentils, rinse and drain and cover with glad wrap. When the lentils have sprouted you will see little tails on the ends of them. In colder weather, this can take a little longer. If you're sprouting over a couple of days make sure you rinse and drain your lentils daily.

Instructions

Get started with your kumara topping chop and get boiling. Now start on the other ingredients…

• Dice your onion and grate your carrot and zucchini.

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan/stockpot and add onions, rosemary and thyme. Sautee.
• Add veggie stock cube and mix through

Add all remaining ingredients (excluding sunflower seeds):

• grated veg
• sprouted lentil mixture
• tamari
• tomato paste

If you have sprouted your lentils this is where you will need to allow some time for cooking. Stir the ingredients. Turn heat down to low and put the lid on for everything to simmer. Some liquid will come to the surface which needs to be cooked off and absorbed by the lentils. Give it a stir now and then put the lid on- this takes about 20 minutes but make sure you test your lentils to ensure they are cooked.

• Add sunflower seeds. This helps to absorb any leftover liquid but you shouldn't be left with any really.

• Stir and pour out into serving dish
• Mash potato topping mix (add savoury yeast if you are using it) spread evenly on top.
• All done!

Ready to serve as is, or you can heat in an oven 150 degrees to rewarm. The servings often hold together better if allowed to sit for a while as the sunflower seeds absorb any liquid.

Alternatives:

• Instead of using dried lentils use canned lentils and drain them
• Dried red split lentils cook quickly too. You can make this with all red lentils or change the ratios.
• Add more zucchini and carrot
• Use a mix of potatoes and sweet potato
• Add savoury yeast to give this a cheesy flavour without the dairy

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