Spiced Brown Lentils With Yogurt
- Total Time
- 1 hour 10 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- ½pound brown lentils (about 1⅛ cups), washed and picked over
- 1small onion, cut in half
- 2garlic cloves, cut in half
- 1bay leaf
- 4cups water (more if necessary)
- 2tablespoons canola or peanut oil
- 1teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
- ½teaspoon chili powder
- ½teaspoon turmeric
- 1 to 2teaspoons curry powder, to taste
- Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste
- ½cup plain low-fat yogurt
- Chopped cilantro for garnish
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
191 calories; 5 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 547 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
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.
- Step 2
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.
- Variation: Curried Lentil Soup: Use 5 cups water. Increase the salt in Step 1, as you will not be reducing the liquid. Reduce the oil in Step 2 to 1 tablespoon, and sauté the spices after the lentils have simmered for 30 minutes. Let them sizzle for 30 seconds, and remove from the heat. Add them to the lentils along with the salt, and simmer 15 minutes. Puree the soup coarsely with an immersion blender, taste and adjust seasonings. Serve garnished with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of cilantro.
- Advance preparation: This will keep for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator, but you will need to thin it out with water when you reheat.
Private Notes
Comments
This was by far the best dish I've ever made with lentils. I served it with homemade mango pickle and the NYT recipe for coconut rice. A winning trifecta.
Does it really matter? The recipe is good.
"Salt to taste" literally means "salt until you like it." In that, you don't need exterior guidance.
This recipe was right up my street as written, but less to my wife's taste. So we ate half and then I turned the leftovers into breakfast fritters: Mixed in chopped cilantro, 3 tbsp panko, a sprinkle of extra salt, and an egg, then pan-fried small patties for 2-3 min per side. Keep them small and fairly thick so they don't crumble. They made a nice, light-but-filling breakfast and my wife loved them this way, with a little hot sauce on top. The fritters would also be a nice component of a bento box.
truly amazing, 10/10. i added garlic to the yogurt, but otherwise no changes.
My new go-to curried lentil recipe. I needed more like 6 cups of water and another 15 minutes of cooking for the lentils to be tender but it was well worth the wait. I also found the recipe amounts of spices to be a little light, so I went heavy-handed there. Served with NYT coconut rice and a squeeze of lime juice. Don't skip the yogurt! It's what really puts this recipe over the top!