Madras Lentils

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped (optional)
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala (optional)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup dry black beluga lentils
• 1 (14-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• Cilantro, canned coconut milk, naan bread and/or rice for serving

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven or medium-high heat. Add onion, pepper, ginger and garlic; cook until vegetables are softened, 4–6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in tomato paste, chili powder, garam masala, cumin, salt, paprika, and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute.
3. Stir in broth and lentils, increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes.
4. Stir in beans, vinegar, and honey; season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve lentils over rice or with naan bread, top with cilantro and a drizzle of coconut milk or half and half (optional).
6. Store lentils in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

Make it more traditional: You can use black glam/whole urad in place of the black beluga lentils, just be sure to soak the dry lentils 8 hours before using. Drain and rinse, and use as directed in the recipe. You can also leave out the red bell pepper and add a minced jalapeño or serrano.

Lentil options: If you can’t find black beluga lentils, you can also use green or brown lentils. Decrease the cook time by 5 or 10 minutes and check it frequently towards the end of cooking.

Make it vegan: use olive oil instead of butter and use sugar or maple syrup instead of honey.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 ¼ cups Calories: 214 Sugar: 10g Sodium: 951mg Fat: 6g Saturated Fat: 4g Carbohydrates: 31g Fiber: 9g Protein: 9g Cholesterol: 15mg