Curried Lentils

Here is another quick vegetarian dinner to warm up even the coldest evenings of January: curried lentils. This dinner takes only 20 minutes to make and is full of flavour. I make this at home at least once a week during the winter. The recipe makes quite a few servings, so if you’d only like to make a small amount, please half the recipe :) Although, in making the full recipe, you are guaranteed lunch for a few days after. Stay warm!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of red lentils (rinsed)
  • 1 teaspoon of olive oil
  • 4 cloves of garlic; minced (or 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder)
  • 1-28 ounce can of diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups of vegetable stock
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of turmeric
  • 3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne (optional)



Method


1. Rinse the lentils well and soak them for 5 minutes in warm water. Drain.


2. Add olive oil to a large pot. Sauté garlic on medium heat for about a minute. (note: if you are using garlic powder, I would recommend adding it to the stock/tomatoes instead).


3. Add canned tomatoes to garlic. Add cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.


4. Add 2 cups of vegetable stock. Bring mixture to a boil and add the drained lentils.


5. Reduce to a simmer. Partially cover the pot with a lid. Simmer for 15 minutes until lentils are tender. If you find that the lentils are becoming too dry, add an additional 1/2 cup of water or vegetable stock.


NOTE: you can add more vegetable stock if you’d like to make this into a soup. Otherwise, serve the lentils as a stew, on basmati rice, jasmine rice quinoa or couscous. Or scoop the lentils with toasted garlic naan. Mmm!

Comments

  1. says

    Hey Courtney! I love your recipes – they inspire me to cook more! :)

    I tried this recipe the way you have it written, and then I also made it with chicken. Both were delicious. The basmati rice makes a huge difference as opposed to the brown rice I had on hand the first time. Basmati or naan is the way to go with this one!!

    Thanks for the yummy recipe – this one has been added to my rotation. :)

  2. says

    Awe, that made my day Angel! I am so glad to hear that my posts have inspired you to cook more :)

    Mmmmm! Naan bread is the best! Basmati is also excellent. I cook it with a few toasted cumin seeds for extra flavour. I should post my recipe for naan bread soon. So easy!!! :)

    Do you have any recipes to suggest for the site?

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