Spicy Lentil Tomato Stew Recipes

LENTIL AND TOMATO STEW

Steps:

• In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, combine lentils, water, onion, half the garlic, and bouquet garni. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Add salt to taste, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 25 minutes, until lentils are cooked through but still have some texture. They should not be mushy. Taste and adjust salt. Using tongs, remove onion and bouquet garni.
• Meanwhile, make tomato sauce in a separate pan. Heat oil over medium heat and add garlic. When it smells fragrant but before it browns, after about 30 seconds of sizzling, add tomatoes and stir together. Add sugar, salt, and basil sprigs and turn heat to medium-high so tomatoes come to a brisk simmer. Turn heat down to medium and cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have cooked down to thick, fragrant sauce, about 20 minutes. Remove basil sprigs.
• If using unpeeled tomatoes and a food mill, put sauce through fine blade of the mill. Add tomato sauce to lentils, stir together, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes. The mixture should be fairly thick, a stew rather than a soup. Add freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt. Stir in slivered basil.
• Serve in wide bowls, over optional garlic bruschette. Sprinkle Parmesan over each serving if desired.

SPICY LENTIL TOMATO STEW

Steps:

• Optionally, you can soak the lentils in cold water before you start the prep for this. Drain them before you add them to the soup.
• Mince the onion, celery, and garlic. Peel and mince the carrot.
• Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, for 6 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook for 1 minutes.
• Sprinkle on the spices, and stir.
• Make a space in the middle of the pot, and add the tomato paste. Mix everything together until a thick paste forms.
• Add the chopped tomatoes with their juice and stir.
• Add the chicken broth and water and stir.
• Add the lentils. Bring to a boil, then back the heat off to a simmer. Simmer for 30 - 45 minutes, stirring often.
• Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice, and puree to desired consistency. (I like it left slightly chunky.).
• Add pepper to taste.
• POSSIBLE GARNISHES:.
• Lemon zest / freshly squeezed lemon juice.
• Plain yogurt blended with salt, pepper, and chopped parsley or cilantro.

STEWED LENTILS AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions, carrots and fennel and cook over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
• Meanwhile, rinse and pick over the lentils to make sure there are no stones in the package.
• Add the tomatoes, lentils, chicken stock, curry powder, thyme, salt, and pepper to the pan. Raise the heat to bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer covered for about 40 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Check occasionally to be sure the liquid is still simmering. Remove from the heat and allow the lentils to sit covered for another 10 minutes. Add the vinegar, season to taste, and serve hot.

SOUTH INDIAN SPICY LENTIL STEW

Steps:

• In a large saucepan bring the water to a boil. Add the dahl, tomatoes, okra, carrots, potatoes, tumeric, salt and tamarind paste or lemon juice. Stir and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook until the dahl is tender--approximately 30 minutes; add more water if necessary.
• Meanwhile, in a heavy skillet, heat the oil and lightly fry the ground cilantro and cumin over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, chile and curry leaves and fry for 2 minutes, covering the skillet as the seeds pop. Add the fried spices to the cooked dahl and vegetables. Add the sambhar masala and mix well.
• The stew can be prepared up to 2 hours in advance.

SPICY LENTIL & CHICKPEA STEW

Steps:

• In a small skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, oregano and pepper flakes; cook and stir until onion is tender, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker., Add chickpeas, lentils, olives and paprika; stir in broth and tomato sauce. Cook, covered, on low 8-10 hours, until lentils are tender. Stir in spinach. Top servings with yogurt.

SLOW COOKER MEDITERRANEAN LENTIL STEW

Steps:

• Warm water and vegetable bouillon in a slow cooker on High until dissolved. Add lentils, carrots, and potatoes.
• Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add cumin and coriander and cook and stir until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add oil, followed by onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and transfer to the slow cooker. Stir. Add tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Stir in spinach.
• Cook on High, stirring every 30 minutes, until lentils are tender and stew has thickened, 3 to 4 hours.

SPICY LENTIL AND SWEET POTATO STEW WITH CHIPOTLES

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until it softens, about 5 minutes, and add the garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the garlic smells fragrant, about 30 seconds, and add the ground cumin seeds and carrots. Stir together for a minute, then add the lentils, water, sweet potatoes, chipotles, tomato paste, salt to taste and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 40 to 45 minutes, until the lentils and sweet potatoes are tender and the broth fragrant. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in the cilantro or parsley, simmer for another minute, and serve, passing lime wedges so diners can season their lentils with a squeeze of lime juice if desired.

SPICY ETHIOPIAN RED LENTIL STEW

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 15 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add ginger and garlic; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in tomato paste and Berbere spice; cook 1 minute, stirring to combine. Gradually add broth, stirring with a whisk until blended. Increase heat to medium-high; bring to a simmer.
• Rinse lentils in cold water; drain. Add lentils to broth mixture; simmer, partially covered, 35 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in salt. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve over rice.