Spiced Lentils Recipes

Steps:

• Bring 1 cup red or yellow lentils, 4 cups water, a pinch of turmeric and a 1-inch piece chopped ginger to a boil; simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Whisk vigorously; season with salt. Cook 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 sliced garlic cloves and 2 to 3 dried red chiles in a skillet with 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat, 2 minutes. Add 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Stir into the lentils with some chopped cilantro.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, heat oil, and sauté onion until softened. Add sweet potato, and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add minced ginger and garlic; stir, and reduce heat to low.
• Finely dice chili, keeping seeds if you wish to add more heat. Add chili, lentils, coriander, cumin, turmeric and ground ginger to pan. Stir until lentils are well coated with oil. Add tomatoes and 4 cups water. Raise heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat until mixture is at a fast simmer. Cook uncovered until lentils and potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt, and continue to simmer until mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes. Whisk dal to amalgamate lentils and sweet potatoes. If dal is too soupy, increase heat and cook for a little longer.
• To serve, place dal in a serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. If desired, shave thin strips of fresh coconut on top. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Finely chop one of the lime quarters, including skin. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a medium saucepan then fry onions over a medium heat for 5 mins until softened and starting to colour. Add the curry powder and tomato purée then fry for another min. Tip in 200ml water, lentils, mango chutney and the chopped lime then bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 mins or until thickened.
• Heat remaining oil in a frying pan. Season the fish with salt and pepper to taste then fry for 5 mins, turning halfway, until golden and cooked through. Add a squeeze of lime to the pan and to the lentils then serve together with naan bread or chapatis on the side.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a wide-based pan. Add the onion and cook over a low heat for 10 mins, stirring, until softened. Mix in the garlic, ginger and spices and cook for 1 min more. Tip in the lentils, pour over the vegetable stock, season and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, then cover and cook for 20 mins until the lentils are tender.
• Meanwhile, heat half the butter in a large pan, add the spinach and cook until wilted. Season, then drain. Stir the spinach through the lentils with the lemon zest and juice and coriander, then leave to cool.
• Mix together all the ingredients for the egg wash. Assemble the pies as directed in the pastry recipe, adding a spoonful of chutney to the middle of each. Glaze with the spiced egg wash before baking.

Steps:

• Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium heat and add onions, ginger, and a dash of salt& pepper.
• Cover and cook for 10 mins until soft.
• Add garlic, curry powder, cumin, coriander and cook for 1 minute.
• Add water, broth, lentils and bay leaves and bring to the boil.
• Cover and reduce heat, simmer for 2 hrs until tender and the liquid is absorbed.
• Remove bay leaves, add the yogurt and tomato puree and simmer 5 minutes until heated through.

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin, paprika, oregano, allspice, nutmeg, bell peppers, onion, 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and starting to caramelize in spots, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the capers and garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add the lentils and 2 cups water to the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are just tender and the water has evaporated, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Push the lentils around the edges of the pan, making a circle in the center about 6 inches in diameter. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat over medium-low heat. Add the eggs and cook, gently pushing them back and forth with a rubber spatula as they begin to set, until softly scrambled, 6 to 8 minutes. (It's ok if some of the lentils get into the eggs while they are cooking. Everything is going to be combined in the end anyway!)
• Fold the lentils into the eggs along with the tomatoes and olives. Divide among bowls and garnish with basil if using. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Steps:

• mince the garlic and dice the onion.
• heat oil in a medium-sized pot, add onion and garlic and heat on low until the onions become translucent (it's important to keep it on the lowest heat setting because garlic burns really easily!).
• add a pinch or two of curry powder, coat onions and garlic and sautee for one more minute or until the spice starts to dye them.
• now add the lentils and water according to the packaging (mine suggested 1 cup of lentils and 3 cups of water), bring to a boil and add the rest of the spices.
• stir, cover, turn the heat back down to low and let simmer for 20-30 minutes or until lentils are tender.
• drain most of the water and serve over rice or with pita or naan bread and enjoy!
• *you can use any spices you have laying around, really. I just sifted through my cupboards and found that these work really well together, but feel free to experiment, add veggies, whatever you like :).

Steps:

• Bring first 4 ingredients and 1 tablespoon oil to boil in large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium; simmer uncovered until lentils are tender, about 35 minutes. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until brown, about 18 minutes. Mix in chili powder and cloves; stir 1 minute.
• Stir onion mixture into lentils. Season with pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with curry powder, then cilantro.