The five-shelf pantry that makes weeknights easy

Hey, and welcome to the first Hungry Vegan.

Here is what this is: every Sunday you get a short email with dinners we have actually cooked, one thing that makes cooking easier, and an answer to something a reader asked. No lectures and no 2,000-word stories before the recipe.

What should a vegan pantry have?

Most weeknight dinners that feel like effort really come from five shelves. Stock these and you can make something good on a night when the fridge is empty.

1. Beans and lentils. Canned chickpeas and black beans, plus a bag of red lentils. Red lentils cook in 20 minutes without soaking.
2. Grains and noodles. Rice, rolled oats and one noodle you like.
3. Cans and cartons. Coconut milk, diced tomatoes and vegetable broth.
4. Something rich. Peanut butter and tahini. They turn into sauces in about two minutes.
5. Flavor. Cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, soy sauce, rice vinegar, Dijon and a hot sauce.

How do you make spices taste stronger?

Bloom them. Cook ground spices in hot oil for about 30 seconds before any liquid goes in. The oil carries the flavor, and dusty spices turn toasty and deep. It is the single step that most improves the red lentil dal.

This week’s dinners

• Red lentil coconut dal: almost entirely from the shelves above, in 35 minutes.
• Crispy chickpea shawarma bowls: two cans of chickpeas, a hot oven and a tahini sauce you will put on everything.

Reader question: should I rinse canned beans?

Yes, for most recipes. Rinsing removes some of the sodium and the starchy liquid, which can make dishes gluey. The exception is the liquid from chickpeas, called aquafaba, which you can save and whip like egg whites.

See you next Sunday.