Curried Lentils with Coconut Milk

A delicious lentil based curry with the creaminess of coconut milk. Curried lentils with coconut milk is comfort food, easy to make, hearty and healthy. Lentils are considered a super food, which means they’re good for you. So what better way to showcase their versatility. Curry is an Indian dish and India is the second largest producer of lentils. Nearly half the population is vegetarian. Serve over Jasmine rice or with Na’an bread

Firstly , I have found that it’s easier to have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go before starting. By doing this you can focus on the cooking process not the prepping process. Each step will go more smoothly this way. So get some bowls and a cutting board.

Finely dice the onions, finely chop the garlic and grate the Ginger. Grating the ginger allows the flavor to better permeate through the dish, and prevents chunks of ginger that are unappetizing. Also measure out the spices and put them in a container ready to use. Rinse the lentils and the rice for cooking. Please read my post Safe Food Prep practices in the Kitchen to learn more

We’re going to prep and cook this stew in the same pot. I usually use a 5.5 qt pot with a tight fitting lid. This will allow us to sweat down the onions, garlic and spices, add the lentils, and liquid and let everything come together as it cooks. One pot is less cleanup, and, one pot keeps flavors. The little bits that stick to the pot as you’re cooking are flavors, you want to keep those. You can use an enameled Dutch Oven, or even a large frying pan, it all depends what’s in your closet. The only thing to remember is one pot with a lid

So we start by sweating the onions and the garlic. For this recipe we will use coconut oil. It enhances the coconut flavor, which I love. It doesn’t have to be fancy expensive bottle, basic coconut oil will be fine. As you heat up the oil, you’ll get the coconut aroma wafting throughout the house.

When the onions are cooked (soft and opaque), it’s the time to add the ginger. Ginger tends to stick, so adding it after the onions are cooked prevents some of that. Let that warm and release it’s own aromatic notes. Then add the spices, mix everything together just for a few minutes. This is essentially your flavor pack, and it certainly smells good, it’s the base for the stew. Now you can add the lentils and continue to mix everything up, you want to make sure they all get some of the coating. Then add the coconut milk and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and cook for 20-30 mins, stirring occasionally. If the stew gets too thick add a little water and if its too thin, leave the lid off and cook a little longer

Rice can be a challenge for some, however, there is a simple rule to follow to make good rice; Leave it alone to cook with the lid on. So we’ll make 1 cup of rice white jasmine rice, I always rinse my rice before I cook it, for the same reason I rinse my fruit before eating, I don’t know where it’s been. So, 1 1/2 cups of water in a saucepan over medium heat, when it boils, add the rinsed rice, stir, bring it back to a boil, lower the heat to its lowest setting, cover with a lid, set the timer for 15 mins and leave it alone. When the timer goes off, take it off the heat, fluff with a fork, put the lid on and wait 5 mins, then your rice is ready to serve

So now you serve and enjoy. If you’re serving with Na’an bread, warm it in the oven for a few minutes first