Egyptian pie and really good people.

[trinder]

I gave this strange title because there a a lot of good people involved in this recipe so I wanted to tell you the back ground before the recipe then the questions?
The local pub had a bash and provided free food including the above. It marginally looked like a chilli I had a taste and it was lovely. She gave me the recipe.


1) 4 onions chopped fried then coat in about 3 tablespoons of decently hot curry powder.
2) 500g green lentils. cover with water bring to boil simmer for approx 20 mins.

when lentils are cooked drain off any excess water and grate in a BLOCK OF COCONUT - 6oz cheese and the onion mix. Give it a good stir bung it in an oven proof dish and decorate with tomatoes stuff in the oven reg 180 for about 20 mins.
I have not been able to make this because it is proving very difficult to get a Block of coconut?
The really good people comes into it when all my friends have tried to buy this "block" and so far unsuccessfully. A helpful (male) mate turned up the other day with a whole coconut and a packet of desicated coconut (bless) he said "look it says on the packet good in curries"

Any ideas what Block of coconut is? Should i just break the whloe coconut up and try to grate it?
thanks in advance I know someone will know what to do.

[Odsox]

Sounds interesting, I've been told I should eat more lentils but I still remember school lentil hotpot and even after 60 odd years it still makes me shudder.

Might try this though.

You probably want "creamed coconut" which is used in curries amongst other things and comes in small blocks (in a box).
The one we have at the moment is Patak's and has 4 x 50g blocks in the box, but I think Sharwoods do one as well.

[Green Aura]

Yup , I agree - your block will be Creamed Coconut found in any and all (pretty much) supermarkets. Sounds very tasty, might have to yoink that.

[Susie]

yes, creamed coconut!!! And that sounds really interesting, I might have to try that...

[trinder]

I was hoping someone here would have experience and tell me if I could use the whole coconut (didn't mean to be lazy) anyhow I googled it and it said how to make.... Which I have promptly ignored. I have just grated the coconut ? I simply drained off the milk then with a large hammer.... eventually ending up with grated coconut.
On a different note. odsox said about school dinners and I thought I don't remember that and I was a fussy eater. However I have only used red lentils and pearl barley in my cooking and never cooked with green ones before. euck so for someone who cannot smell I think they stink. I hope they taste better than they smell.

[Millymollymandy]

I don't like green ones, but then there's Puy lentils and there's green lentils and they are different. I only like the kind of lentils that cook down to a mush used for dahl.

We were never fed such exotic food as lentils at school!

[Odsox]

We were never fed such exotic food as lentils at school!

This was when meat was rationed and vegetables were not, I wish we were never fed "exotic" school dinners either.

[trinder]

It tasted really nice, It is quite dark looking not unlike frog spawn on this trial occasion I simply had crusty bread with it. I was not sure what to serve with it ?

[Millymollymandy]

We were never fed such exotic food as lentils at school!

This was when meat was rationed and vegetables were not, I wish we were never fed "exotic" school dinners either.

Hmmmmmm I beg to differ, did you ever get liver at school? (I do like liver now!)

[Odsox]

Umm, which bit do you disagree with, meat being rationed during and just after the war or my primary school dishing up lentil hotpot for dinner?
I do remember liver later on as I always liked it, but not at primary school, just mince in various guises or disguises, although minced "what" remains a mystery.
I note that the all knowing Mr Wiki says that meat rationing in the UK ended on the 4th of July 1954