Curried Lentils with Tomatoes

Indian food has always fascinated me but I have been a little intimidated about making it myself. About a year ago, some friends of ours brought curried lentils to dinner one night. I have wanted to make them myself ever since.  After one edible but not noteworthy attempt, I relegated myself to eating other people’s lentils. A few days ago, our Facebook group, Whole Food Living, started a 30-day challenge to eliminate all processed sugar and flour from out diets. A member of that group, Michelle – a fellow healthy blogger at  Earth’s Friends – posted Ina Garten’s recipe for Stewed Lentils and Tomatoes and said it was her favorite recipe. The next day we had this dish for dinner. There are a few alterations to this recipe from the original – because I always prefer my own roasted tomatoes to the canned variety  and because I was too lazy to make a special trip to the store.  So by all means pick the recipe you prefer, but try these lentils. They are just too delicious to pass up.

If curry is new for you, don’t be scared!! This is a nice choice for experimenting with a new flavor. This is a very mild curry – and an inexpensive meal if you want to try something new but aren’t quite sure about your palette. These lentils are warm  and comforting – a little sweet and a little savory. Perfect for a curry newbie like me.

This recipe is vegetarian as long as you choose vegetable broth over chicken. And is an excellent option for a meatless main if you are attempting to eat less meat for health or financial reasons! We like to serve it with this simple Tomato Salad on the side. Something about the warm lentils and the sweet tomatoes go really well together. And of course a little whole wheat bread to wipe up all that yummy sauce!!

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Curried Lentils with Tomatoes

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course: Appetizers & Sides, Main Dishes

Servings: 8 servings

Author: Cynthia Rusincovitch

Ingredients

• 2 tbsps coconut oil or olive oil
• 1 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 3 cups carrots, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups roasted tomatoes or equivalent canned tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cup red lentils
• 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 tbsp mild curry powder
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

• Heat coconut oil in a large pan or Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the onions are translucent and the carrots begin to soften. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
• Add the tomatoes, lentils, broth, curry powder, thyme, salt, and pepper to the pan. Raise the heat to bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer covered for about 40 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
• Remove from the heat and allow the lentils to sit covered for 10 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!
• Double it and have it for lunch the next day! Leftovers are just as good as the original!