Red Lentil Curry

Red Lentil Curry (from All Recipes, Servings: 8, Total Time: 40 minutes)

Ingredients

·         2 cups red lentils

·         1 large onion, diced

·         1 Tbsp. canola oil

·         2 Tbsp. curry paste (I used red)

·         1 Tbsp. curry powder

·         1 tsp. ground turmeric

·         1 tsp. ground cumin

·         1 tsp. chili powder

·         1 tsp. salt

·         1 tsp. white sugar

·         1 tsp. minced garlic

·         1 tsp. ginger root, minced

·         1 (14.25 oz.) can tomato puree (I used tomato sauce)

Directions

1.)    Wash the lentils in cold water until the water runs clear (this is very important or the lentils will get "scummy"), put the lentils in a pot with water to cover and simmer covered until lentils tender (add more water if necessary).

2.)    While the lentils are cooking: In a large skillet or saucepan, caramelize the onions in oil.

3.)    While the onions are cooking, combine the curry paste, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, chili powder, salt, sugar, garlic, and ginger in a mixing bowl. Mix well.

4.)    When the onions are cooked, add the curry mixture to the onions and cook over a high heat stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes.

5.)    Stir in the tomato puree and reduce heat, allow the curry base to simmer until the lentils are ready.

6.)    When the lentils are tender drain them briefly (they should have absorbed most of the water but you don't want the curry to be too sloppy). Mix the curry base into the lentils and serve immediately.

This was another dish that I made for the tasting.  I will start by stating that the original recipe doesn’t tell you how long to cook the lentils.  I believe that mine took about 15 minutes over a medium heat, no extra water was needed.  At first I thought that I overcooked them, but they still tasted good and the other people who tried the dish liked it.  Just keep an eye on them while doing the other steps in the recipe.  This was also my first time working with ginger (FYI – you need to peel it before mincing!).  I think that I did OK on both accounts.

Overall, the recipe is easy to follow and the end result is pretty tasty.  It’s a little light on the taste, but I didn’t want to add any Sriracha because we have to be sensitive to the people who may not like spicy food.  However, on my leftovers, I went Sriracha-happy and it tasted awesome!  The consistency was almost like refried beans, but that worked well on some sandwich thins and pitas.  The curry is not “runny” or “oily” like some other curries that I have eaten or made, so it works really well with bread.  I definitely recommend trying this recipe!  Pretty healthy (calories are fairly low, protein is good) and tasty.