This recipe is so easy and delicious you’ll wonder why you don’t make it more often. It’s a classic dal recipe that can be used with shrimp–as with this recipe–chicken, lamb, beef, or vegetarian. It’s good to make a large batch of the spiced lentils because they freeze well and you’ll have them in a hurry when you’re busy and can use them as a base for other Near East recipes.. The recipe below is a basic one, and the one that I made tonight. Add more spice if you like (I added chipotle chili powder…I like it spicy). And if you are adding meat or seafood to the recipe add it appropriately…hearty meats–such as lamb or beef–should be added in the beginning and allow it to stew with the lentils, but more delicate foods–such as fish or shrimp–should be added about 5 or 10 minutes before serving; this is also when to add the peas.
Curried Red Lentilsand Potatoes
Yield: 4-6 servings
3 tablespoons vegetable oil orclarified butter
1 small onion, peeled and diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1-2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
2 medium potatoes, peeled anddiced into 1″ cubes
1-1/2 cups red lentils
3 cups chicken broth or vegetablebroth
1 cup diced tomatoes, fresh orcanned
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Heat the oil or butter in a small heavysauce pot over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Sauté theonion and garlic for 5 minutes, or until translucent but not browned.Lower the heat, add the curry powder, and sauté the spices with theonions for an additional 5 minutes, stirring often and taking greatcare not to burn the spices. Add the potatoes and lentils; stir themto coat them with the fat and spices.
Add the chicken or vegetable brothalong with the tomatoes, salt and lemon juice. Bring the liquid to aboil, lower it to a very low simmer and skim any impurities that mayhave risen to the surface. Slowly cook the lentils and potatoes forapproximately 45 minutes, or until they are fully cooked and thelentils have begun to lose their shape and thicken the brothconsiderably. If it becomes too thick, simply add a desired amount ofadditional broth. Serve over steamed basmati rice.
Urban Simplicty 