Lentil Curry

Chop your cilantro better than me, you can do it!

This recipe is vegan and gluten free, I’ve served it with basmati rice, one of my favorite rices of all the rices. You’ll need a large pot or skillet with a lid for this recipe.

Heat coconut oil in the pot over medium-high heat, if you’re using the onions, add those now and cook those till sorta translucent. Add the coriander seeds to the pan and toast for 30 seconds. Add garlic to the pan, cook till fragrant.

Pour the can of crushed tomatoes, ginger, turmeric, cumin and sea salt into the pan, stirring sporadically and cook for 5 minutes. Add the lentils to the pan and mix things around. If you’re using the cayenne powder, add that now, along with the vegetable broth or water. Bring pot to a boil, cover and let it simmer for 35-45 minutes, or until the lentils are soft. Make sure to stir the pot every so often to prevent the lentils from sticking to the pan. If during this cooking process the lentils still seem dry/hard, but the liquid starts to get too thick, add an extra 1/2 - 1 cup broth/water.

Once the lentils are soft and the curry is thick, add the coconut milk along with the diced tomatoes, if you add them. Bring pot back up to a nice simmer, remove pot from heat and stir in cilantro. Remember to chop the cilantro and do better than I did in the photo shown! :-) (I forgot to stir it in and ended up just throwing it on top of the bowls.)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

• 1 small onion, chopped (optional)

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds

• 1 head of garlic, chopped (Yes, an entire head of garlic)

• 1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes

• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped or grated

• 1 tablespoon cumin

• 1 tablespoon turmeric

• 2 teaspoons sea salt

• 1 cup dried brown lentils

• 1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional)

• 3 cups of vegetable broth or water (you’ll likely use around 4 cups total, I usually end up adding liquid as the lentils cook down in the curry, not right away.)

• 1 15oz can coconut milk

• 1/2 cup petite can diced tomatoes or fresh tomatoes

• 1 cup chopped cilantro