Search results for: lentils
Brown Lentils with Tomatoes & Onions
- 1 cup brown lentils
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- ½ cup crushed tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
Add the lentils into a medium bowl. Add the chicken broth, onion, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, oil, salt, turmeric and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium low heat for 30 to 45 minutes – or till the lentils are soft and the consistency is between a soup and a stew. Add the garam masala. Check for seasonings and serve with rice.
Dal Makhani- Black Lentils with a Cream Sauce
Diwali is coming up and this is a must in our house… people typically make this lentil dish for a special occasion but it is so simple… you can make it any day you want… yum!
- 1 cup whole urad dal (black lentils)
- ¼ cup rajma (red kidney beans)
- ¼ cup channa dal (gram lentils)
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 inch piece of ginger, minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon ghee or butter
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
- 3 tablespoons half and half
In a pressure cooker or sauce-pan, add the urad dal, rajma, channa dal, water, crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, salt, cayenne pepper, coriander powder, turmeric and ghee. If using a pressure cooker, then close the lid and cook on high till the pressure is built, then turn the heat on low and cook for an hour. Turn the heat off, and take the lid off- check the consistency. The dal should be like a thick soup or a think stew. If there is excess liquid, then turn the heat on high and begin to evaporate the liquid. Add the garam masala and half and half. Cook till the dal reaches desired consistency. Taste for seasonings.
If using a sauce-pan, then bring the mixture to a boil and lower the heat, cook for at least 2 hours or till the lentils are soft and mushy. Add the garam masals and half and half. Cook till the dal reaches desired consistency. Taste for seasonings.
Masoor Dal (Pink Lentils)
Hello Meatless Monday! This is a yummy, easy dish to make with rice… I am reposting some really old recipes… nice to see the old stuff again..
- ½ cup pink lentils
- 3 cups water
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- Salt to taste
Tempering
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/3 cup tomatoes chopped
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
Add the lentils in 3 cups of water in a heavy pan. Add the garlic, turmeric and salt. Bring to a boil and let it simmer until the soft and mushy, about 15-20 minutes.
On the side in a small skillet, heat the oil. Add cumin, onion and tomatoes. Saute till onions are soft and mixed in with the tomatoes.
Add the tempering into the cooking lentils. Adjust salt and add the chopped cilantro.
Lentils with Baby Spinach
Here is another vegetarian dish. This could be almost a one pot meal. All you need is some brown rice or quinoa.. well, those are the healthy options. One could also serve this with a rice pulao with lots of cumin and sautéed onions. Either way, this is a delicious dish that is very simple to make and very nutritious.
I love combining the orange and the yellow variety- the names of the lentils are below (actually I am not very good at remembering lentil names .. so I recognize them by color and shape). Anyway, I love combining the two and cooking them with a bit of garlic. I usually cook the lentils in water, but they can be made with chicken or vegetable broth.
Once the lentils are tender and cooked, I added baby spinach to the mix. I finished the dish with a tempering of cumin and mustard seeds.
It is one of my staples, especially when I don’t have a lot of time to cook…
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Moong Dal with Spinach (Lentils with Spinach)
This is a great dish to make through the week. It is simple and quick. Especially since I used these particular lentils- moong. They take all of 15 minutes to cook up. I have quite a few lentils in my pantry which is great when I don’t have anything else to cook.
I made these simply with some turmeric, salt and garlic. I let the lentils cook for a while and then added the frozen spinach- another thing I have on hand- it is extremely versatile and easy to use.
While the lentils were finishing up, I heated up some ghee (butter can be used instead) and added cumin. I added the mixture to the lentils and that was it. I served the lentils with some rice and it was a delicious weeknight meal. Everyone loved it.
Make these lentils through the week- they don’t take long at all.
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Brown Lentils with Fennel Seeds
These lentils are really delicious and easy to make. I used a few ingredients that are more prevalent in Kashmiri cuisine. I used fennel seeds and black cumin seeds. Fennel seeds are usually used for both sweet and savory dishes. I love the flavor it imparts in the savory ones. It gives them a very floral, earthy taste and aroma. It is one of my favorite spices to use. I especially love it in tea.
For these lentils, I started by cooking them in chicken broth. Typically lentils in India are cooked in water but I have been using chicken broth. I like it because it imparts extra flavor without a lot of effort. I added ginger, salt and turmeric.
The lentils don’t take very long to make. Once they became soft, I added sauteed fennel and cumin seeds. I tasted for seasonings and cooked the dal for another few minutes before I turned the heat off. I then added some low fat sour cream to finish off the dish. It provided a nice tang and delicious creaminess without a lot of calories. I served the dal with some rice and it was a great meal.
The fennel and cumin flavor came through clearly in the dish. It is a bit different and delicious- definitely try the brown lentils with fennel seeds…
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Dal Keema (Ground Turkey with Yellow Gram Lentils)
This is a very simple and delicious dish to make. If you have never made an Indian dish before and are a little overwhelmed- this maybe the one to try. Don’t let the list of spices scare you- if you can’t find any one of them, just eliminate them.
Keema is essentially ground meat. Typically it is either goat or lamb keema cooked with a vegetable- either peas, cauliflower, potatoes or spinach. I use turkey to create a healthier dish for my family.
I made this dish a bit different and paired it with lentils. I cooked the lentils separately in a pressure cooker. You don’t need to have one- just follow the same instructions but cook the lentils on the stove. It will take longer and a bit more liquid but you will get the same results.
The rest is quite simple, I sauteed some spices, onions and garlic. I added the ground turkey meat and cooked it for a while and then added the meat. To make the dish creamy, I added some Greek yogurt.
It was a delicious dish I served with fresh rotis and a spinach salad.
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