Community Pick
Curried Red Lentils
"For me, this is comfort food. It only take about a half hour to make, and with some fresh pitas, it's a fantastic meal by itself."
photo by gailanng
- Ready In:
- 40mins
- Ingredients:
- 12
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 1 cup red lentil
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon curry paste
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon sugar
- 1⁄2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1⁄2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato puree
directions
- Rinse the lentils in cold water until the water runs clear.
- Add lentils and enough water to cover to a saucepan and simmer until the lentils are tender (about 30 minutes).
- Add water if necessary.
- While the lentils are cooking, caramelize the onions in the vegetable oil in a large skillet.
- Combine the curry paste, spices, garlic and ginger in a bowl.
- Mix well.
- When the onions are cooked, add the curry mixture to the pan.
- Cook over a high heat, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the tomat puree and reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Cook the curry base until the lentils are ready.
- When the lentils are tender, drain off any exceess water and add the lentils to the curry mixture.
- Combine thoroughly and serve immediately.
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Reviews
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This was delicious. I did have trouble locating the red lentils, but a friend found them at a specialty market and gave them to me. I doubled the recipe by accident [those little lentils are so tiny, it's deceptive]and had more than enough!!!! My husband and daughter didn't care for it,[they don't like to stray from what they are used to] but I loved it, as did all of my co-workers. It was lunch for my entire unit as well as most of the office. We ate it, as suggested,with pita bread.Absolutely fabulous!!! And now I'm on the prowl for more red lentils... Thanks for the great recipe!!! -
Delicious! I made the curry paste myself (Madras Curry Recipe #95907) and adjusted the spices according to my liking. Also I added the turmeric while boiling the lentils (together with a pinch of salt) and not afterwards. Lastly, I did not use the whole can of tomato puree (left about 1/3) as I did not want it too tomatoey. Oh and squeezed a bit of fresh lemon juice right before serving. You can really play with the ingredients and you will still end up with a great dish, that's for sure. Thanks for the recipe!! -
Such an easy recipe- quick, cheap and delicious. I always have red lentils and rice in the house, so it's always what we eat right before we go grocery shopping again :). I rarely have curry paste so I improvise by combining all these spices (plus cinnamon, if you're into that) in my mortar, add a drop or two of oil, and grind them into a paste. Just as tasty. -
Soooo good! I didn't have any Indian red curry paste but after reading some other reviews I decided to go with Dinu's tip of using Madras Curry Recipe #95907. It worked perfectly for this recipe. Thanks for sharing this delicious, simple and healthy recipe.
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These were so-o-o good! My daughter and I had two servings..and there's more left that'll undoubtedly be finished off tomorrow. I didn't have curry paste but substituted a KORMA brand curry and used only 1 TBSP along with the other spices. Used tomato sauce, too, instead of puree. Will DEFINITELY be having these lentils again! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
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Tweaks
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I've never eaten red lentils before, and was craving curry. I only had a few changes. I pureed my onions with a bit of olive oil before caramelizing them since I don't like chunks of onions in my curry. I couldn't find any tumeric in two different grocery stores, so I just sprinkled a bit of curry powder mix that had tumeric in it. The rest I followed to a T. The taste was really good but I found the curry a bit dry. I might add crushed tomatoes instead of the pureed, or add some coconut milk. I served it with some basmati rice, naan and greek yogurt. Thanks for a great recipe I look forward to playing with more in the future!! :) -
I love this recipe! Curry paste is difficult to find in my regular market, so I just mix 1 tablespoon curry power with a little bit of olive oil, then add the rest of the spice to this homemade paste. I also use red cayenne pepper instead of chili powder for an added kick. The last two times I've made this recipe I've also added 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk with the tomato puree (omitting the sugar called for in the recipe). It adds a rich texture to the dish, and I love any excuse to use coconut milk in a recipe! -
WOW I've never had lentils before and i couldn't believe the taste. I found the finished result a bit dry so next time im going to try adding passata instead of the tomato puree. Thanks for helping me to find out what lentils taste like.
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I just made this after searching for something to do with a bag of lentils. What a great recipe. It took hardly any time to make and tasted awesome. I like my curry hot, so I used Vindaloo paste. The only change i made was to leave out the ginger because I didn't have any and substitute a punnet of chopped, fresh cherry tomatoes for the tomato puree, again because i didn't have any. It still tasted terrific. Oh, I also added 2 cloves of fresh crushed garlic. My lentils ended up mushy too, but that's how I like them! This was a cheap, delicious, easy meal and i'll be making it regularly!
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Yummy recipe, easy to prepare; almost a smoky flavor, rich and subtle. I substituted 8 ounces of canned diced tomatoes for the puree and served this with a little plain yoghurt swirled into it, a handful of cilantro leaves, and sliced cucumbers on the side. We also "Indianized" it by sprinkling some garam masala over the top. Unfortunately I didn't have any pita or naan on hand--for next time!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
caetb
Frederick, Maryland
