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Red Lentil Curry

Prep Time:

10 min

Cook Time:

35 min

Serves:

4

Level:

Beginner

About the Recipe

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Ingredients

  • 1 Tbs coconut oil

  • 4 garlic cloves, minced

  • 2  5411/25000 Tbs ginger, grated

  • 1 Tbs turmeric, freshly grated (or 1 tsp of ground turmeric)

  • 2 serrano peppers, diced (remove seeds to dampen spice level)

  • 1 tsp cumin, ground

  • 1/2 tsp coriander, ground

  • 1 tsp chili powder

  • 2 tsp curry powder

  • 1 tsp garam masala

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

  • 1 cup red lentils

  • 2 cup vegetable broth

  • 14 oz crushed tomatoes, canned

  • 13  1/2 oz coconut milk, canned

  • 3 Tbs almond butter, unsweetened

  • 1/2 lemon, juiced

  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Preparation

Prep

Rinse lentils under cold water until the water runs clear. Set aside.


Make

  1. Heat a large, deep skillet or large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the coconut oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the garlic, ginger, fresh turmeric (if using), and Serrano pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent garlic from burning. Add the cumin, coriander, chili powder, curry powder, garam masala, salt, and black pepper to taste, and cook for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant, tossing frequently to prevent burning. If using ground turmeric instead of fresh turmeric, add the ground turmeric now, along with the rest of the spices.


  2. Pour in the vegetable broth, and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.

  3. Add in the lentils and the crushed tomatoes and mix well. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through and have mostly softened. If you find that the lentils are not quite soft after 25 minutes, add a few spoons more of broth or water and cook for another 5 minutes.

  4. Remove the lid and stir in the coconut milk, almond butter, along with salt and pepper to taste Continue cooking on low heat, uncovered for 5 to 8 minutes, until the curry has thickened and is creamy.

  5. Finally, stir in the lemon juice and cilantro, and turn off the heat. If you want your lentils to be even creamier and more on the puréed side, use an immersion blender to lightly purée the curry.

  6. Serve the curry with rice and/or Indian flatbread and garnish with additional cilantro. Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days.


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