After the celebration comes the catharsis — that inevitable literal and figurative purging following the holiday season.

After taking down and packing up holiday decorations this week, I deep-cleaned the kitchen, sifted through piles of paperwork on my desk and organized some clutter in the garage. Because we’d spent a week away from home, the refrigerator load was lighter than usual. But there was still plenty of fodder for what I’ve dubbed “clean-the-crisper-drawer lentils.”

So long as I refrain from calling it that at the dinner table, my two kids are fans of this free-form dish. As the name implies, it’s a repository for whatever odds and ends I unearth from the produce bin — withered greens, hairy carrots, leprous celery, half-used turnips and rutabaga browning on their cut faces. Leftover chicken or lamb bones can be simmered in the stockpot, too, although I don’t practice that kind of thrift as often since my younger son declared he’s vegetarian.

The constant ingredient is red lentils or yellow split peas, added in a roughly 1-to-3 ratio to the veggies. Start by sautéing the vegetables in olive oil or butter, add curry powder, coriander, cumin and any other spices of your choice to gently toast, stir in the rinsed lentils, cover everything with an inch of water or stock and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.

The seasoning palette can be Indian, Middle Eastern, Eastern European or even Italian and French, depending on the cook’s inclination. But a distinctly south Indian effect can be achieved with the extra step of stir-frying the vegetables with spices and aromatics before adding cooked lentils, rather than simmering the vegetables until tender in the same pot with the lentils. The method for this “kootu” yields veggies that have caramelized and deepened in flavor before soaking up some of the lentils’ essence.

I’ve been enjoying the added punch of curry leaves since purchasing them a couple of months ago at Medford’s Asia Grocery Market. A bag of leaves numerous enough to make 10 recipes of masala, korma or dal costs just a few dollars. I omit the tiny quantity of this recipe’s white lentils, which aren’t as readily available.

Cabbage and Carrot Kootu

3/4 cup masoor dal (red lentils) or moong dal (split yellow lentils)
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric, divided
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon urad dal (white lentils)
1 whole dried red chile
2 or 3 curry leaves (optional)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 medium green chile pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon peeled and minced, fresh ginger
2 cups coarsely shredded cabbage
1 cup diced carrots
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/4 teaspoons salt

In a deep saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the red lentils and 1/4 teaspoon of the turmeric.

Reduce heat to medium and cook lentils, uncovered, until soft and tender, for about 20 minutes. (If most water evaporates before lentils become soft, add an additional cup.) Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium, heat the oil. When oil is hot but not smoking, add the mustard seeds and urad dal. Cover and cook until mustard seeds pop and urad dal is golden brown. Immediately add the whole chile and curry leaves.

Add the onions, minced green chile and ginger. Stir well. Add the cabbage and carrots; stir-fry for about 2 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, the ground cumin and salt; stir well.

Immediately add cooked lentils and about 1 cup water. Cover and cook over medium heat for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until cabbage and carrots are cooked and tender. Taste and add more salt if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

— Recipe from “Vegetarian Flavors With Alamelu” by Alamelu Vairavan (Hippocrene Books; November 2020).