Spiced Lentils Recipes

SPICED LENTILS

Steps:

• Bring 1 cup red or yellow lentils, 4 cups water, a pinch of turmeric and a 1-inch piece chopped ginger to a boil; simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Whisk vigorously; season with salt. Cook 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 sliced garlic cloves and 2 to 3 dried red chiles in a skillet with 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat, 2 minutes. Add 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Stir into the lentils with some chopped cilantro.

MASOOR DAL (SPICED RED LENTILS)

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, heat oil, and sauté onion until softened. Add sweet potato, and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add minced ginger and garlic; stir, and reduce heat to low.
• Finely dice chili, keeping seeds if you wish to add more heat. Add chili, lentils, coriander, cumin, turmeric and ground ginger to pan. Stir until lentils are well coated with oil. Add tomatoes and 4 cups water. Raise heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat until mixture is at a fast simmer. Cook uncovered until lentils and potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt, and continue to simmer until mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes. Whisk dal to amalgamate lentils and sweet potatoes. If dal is too soupy, increase heat and cook for a little longer.
• To serve, place dal in a serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. If desired, shave thin strips of fresh coconut on top. Serve hot.

FISH WITH SPICED LENTILS

Steps:

• Finely chop one of the lime quarters, including skin. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a medium saucepan then fry onions over a medium heat for 5 mins until softened and starting to colour. Add the curry powder and tomato purée then fry for another min. Tip in 200ml water, lentils, mango chutney and the chopped lime then bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 mins or until thickened.
• Heat remaining oil in a frying pan. Season the fish with salt and pepper to taste then fry for 5 mins, turning halfway, until golden and cooked through. Add a squeeze of lime to the pan and to the lentils then serve together with naan bread or chapatis on the side.

SPICY LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir onion and garlic until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in carrot and celery; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, about 8 more minutes.
• Stir in tomato paste, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper; mix in chicken stock and lentils.
• Bring soup to a boil and reduce heat to low; simmer until lentils are soft, about 20 minutes.

SPICED BROWN LENTILS WITH YOGURT

Steps:

• Combine the lentils, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and water in a medium soup pot or heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add salt to taste (under-salt slightly because you will be reducing the liquid), and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes, until the lentils are falling apart tender and fragrant. Remove the onion and garlic and discard.
• Heat the oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spices and stir as they sizzle for about 30 seconds, until very fragrant. Add the beans with their liquid and cook, stirring and mashing with the back of a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens, like refried beans. Add salt to taste, once the mixture has reduced to the desired consistency. Spoon onto plates and top each serving with a generous spoonful of yogurt and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro.

SPICED LENTILS

Steps:

• Bring first 4 ingredients and 1 tablespoon oil to boil in large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium; simmer uncovered until lentils are tender, about 35 minutes. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until brown, about 18 minutes. Mix in chili powder and cloves; stir 1 minute.
• Stir onion mixture into lentils. Season with pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with curry powder, then cilantro.

SPICED LENTILS WITH LEEKS

Steps:

• Brown 1 bunch leeks (halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise) in 3 tablespoons olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat, 7 to 8 minutes; add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Add 3/4 cup dried brown or green lentils, 3 cups water, 1 bay leaf, 1 star anise pod and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are soft, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and star anise. Season with salt, top with mint and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with lime wedges.

SPICY LENTILS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium heat and add onions, ginger, and a dash of salt& pepper.
• Cover and cook for 10 mins until soft.
• Add garlic, curry powder, cumin, coriander and cook for 1 minute.
• Add water, broth, lentils and bay leaves and bring to the boil.
• Cover and reduce heat, simmer for 2 hrs until tender and the liquid is absorbed.
• Remove bay leaves, add the yogurt and tomato puree and simmer 5 minutes until heated through.

SIMPLE YUMMY SPICED LENTILS

Steps:

• mince the garlic and dice the onion.
• heat oil in a medium-sized pot, add onion and garlic and heat on low until the onions become translucent (it's important to keep it on the lowest heat setting because garlic burns really easily!).
• add a pinch or two of curry powder, coat onions and garlic and sautee for one more minute or until the spice starts to dye them.
• now add the lentils and water according to the packaging (mine suggested 1 cup of lentils and 3 cups of water), bring to a boil and add the rest of the spices.
• stir, cover, turn the heat back down to low and let simmer for 20-30 minutes or until lentils are tender.
• drain most of the water and serve over rice or with pita or naan bread and enjoy!
• *you can use any spices you have laying around, really. I just sifted through my cupboards and found that these work really well together, but feel free to experiment, add veggies, whatever you like :).