Energizing & Spicy Broccoli Dal

Yields: 5 cups

Source: Oh She Glows blog

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 to 5 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets (from 1 large head)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
  • 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
  • 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
  • 1 cup uncooked red lentils
  • Fine sea salt, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala spice mix
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, to taste
  • Paprika, to garnish
  • Naan bread, for serving
  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions:

  1. Add the oil into a large saucepan and increase the heat to low-medium so the oil can preheat.
  2. Add the broccoli into a food processor and process until very finely chopped (about the size of rice grains).
  3. Add the cumin and mustard seeds into the saucepan with the oil. The seeds should sizzle and begin popping in the oil right away. As soon as the seeds start to pop, cover the saucepan immediately with a lid, and remove the saucepan from the heat source. Let sit until the seeds stop popping, then remove the lid and stir.
  4. Stir in the onion, and place the saucepan back over medium heat. Cook for 3 to 4 more minutes until the onion softens.
  5. Now, add the finely chopped broccoli, broth, entire can of coconut milk, lentils, 1/2 teaspoon salt, garam masala, turmeric, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
  6. Increase heat to high and bring to a low bowl. Reduce heat to medium, cover with lid, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Now remove the lid and stir, and continue simmering, uncovered, for another 10 minutes, until the lentils soften and the mixture thickens. Stir every now and then to make sure it doesn’t stick.
  7. Stir in the lemon juice to taste.
  8. Ladle the dal into bowls and serve with naan bread or pita bread. Garnish with paprika and a lemon wedge, if desired.

Tandoori-Roasted Cauliflower with Almond Butter

Source: Adapted from seasonwithspice.com

Ingredients:

  • 1 head of cauliflower – cut into florets
  • 1/2 cup almond butter
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • Tandoori Spice Blend
    • 1 tsp ground ginger
    • 1 tsp ground coriander
    • 1 tsp paprika
    • 1 tsp cumin
    • 1 tsp turmeric
    • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
    • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
  • Fresh cilantro leaves
  • Coarse salt
  • Crushed toasted almonds (optional)

Instructions:

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together almond butter, oil, and Tandoori Spice blend. Depending on the texture of your almond butter, squeeze in some lemon juice or water if you find the mixture to be a little dry. Toss the florets into the mixture and coat well.
  2. Adjust the top oven rack so the cauliflower will be 4-5 inches away from the heat. Preheat the oven for a few minutes on the low broiler setting.
  3. While the oven is preheating, spread the cauliflower out in a single layer on a baking pan lined with aluminum foil.
  4. Roast under the broiler for 10-12 minutes, until just tender and golden brown (flip florets halfway through cooking time). When cooked, sprinkle with salt, lemon juice, and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves. For an extra crunch, add crushed toasted almonds. Serve hot.

Dal Makhani (Black Lentils with Rich Tomato Sauce)

Serves: 6–8

Source: Eats Well With Others

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dried black lentils
  • 1 cup dried adzuki beans (kidney beans are fine too)
  • water, to soak and cook beans
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 large onions, chopped
  • 6 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
  • 2 cardamom pods
  • 2 dried small hot red chili peppers
  • 1½ tbsp garam masala
  • ¾ tsp coriander
  • ¾ tsp cumin
  • ¾ tsp chili powder
  • ¾ tsp sweet paprika
  • ¼ tsp ground fenugreek
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp coarse kosher salt
  • 14 oz canned diced tomatoes
  • 6 oz tomato paste
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • ½ cup lowfat milk

Instructions:

  1. Soak the lentil and the adzuki beans in a large bowl of water overnight. Drain off the water the next day.
  2. In a large pot, combine the beans. Cover with water by 1 inch. Add a big pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cover and lower the heat to a simmer, cooking for 1 hour or until tender. Drain.
  3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Cook the onions over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, or until starting to caramelize, stirring frequently.
  4. Stir in the garlic and ginger, and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
  5. Add the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, chili peppers, garam masala, coriander, cumin, chili powder, paprika, fenugreek, black pepper, and salt to the pot. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
  6. Pour the tomatoes, vegetable broth, and tomato pasta into the pot, along with the cooked beans and lentils. Bring to a boil and then simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Remove the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and cardamom pods from the pot.
  7. Stir in the butter and milk until combined. Serve warm, over rice or with naan.

Coconut Curry Lentil Soup

Serves: 4

Source: Angela @ Vegangela.com

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp  olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste (or ketchup)
  • 2 tbsp curry powder
  • ½ tsp hot red pepper flakes
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 400ml can coconut milk
  • 1 400g can diced tomatoes
  • 1.5 cups dry red lentils
  • 2-3 handfuls of chopped kale or spinach
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • Garnish: chopped cilantro (fresh coriander) and/or vegan sour cream

Instructions:

  1. In a stockpot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat and stir-fry the onion, garlic and ginger until the onion is translucent, a couple minutes.
  2. Add the tomato paste (or ketchup), curry powder, and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute.

    Add the vegetable broth, coconut milk, diced tomatoes and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes, until the lentils are very tender. Season with salt and pepper.

  3. {Make-Ahead: May be cooled, frozen in air-tight containers, and re-heated over medium-low heat.}

    Before serving, stir in the kale/spinach and garnish with cilantro and/or vegan sour cream.

Aloo Matar (potatoes and peas)

Serves: 2–3 people

Source: Adapted from Seven Spice

Ingredients

For the gravy

  • 2 tsp oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp ginger, freshly minced
  • 1 tbsp garlic, freshly minced
  • 1 medium onion, grated using big hole grater (or chopped finely)
  • 3 medium tomatoes, chopped finely or ½ can (use half of 400 gm can) with juice
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tsp red chili powder

For the curry

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 3 medium potatoes, chopped in big bite size chunks
  • ½ cup fresh or frozen peas
  • 4 tbsp spinach or kale, chopped
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp red chili powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • salt to taste
  • water, as needed
  • cilantro, finely chopped – for garnishing

Instructions

Gravy

  1. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Let it crackle for few seconds until golden brown. Add ginger, garlic and and fry for few seconds until the raw smell goes away. Add onion and some salt. Cook till light brown colour, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add tomatoes and red chili powder. Cook for few more minutes until all gravy combined and oil starts to leave the sides. Keep it aside.

Curry

  1. Heat the oil another wide pan. Add mustard seeds, then cumin seeds. Stir. Add chopped potatoes. Salt to taste and add ½ cup water, then stir.
  2. Cover the lid and cook on slow-medium heat for 8–10 minutes. The potatoes should be cooked till fork tender but still holding their shape. Add the chopped greens. Season with all spices and stir.
  3. Add the gravy to the curry and stir well to combine. Adjust the consistency, not too thick or runny. Add few tablespoons more water if needed, then add frozen peas. Check the salt and seasoning and adjust. Cover the lid and cook for 5 minutes more.
  4. Garnish with chopped cilantro and service with rice, paratha or naan bread.

 

House Dal

Serves: 4

Source: Buffé, 2014 issue 2

Ingredients:

  • 1 dl mung beans
  • 3 dl red lentils
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 red onion
  • 150 g butter
  • 3 tbsp finely-chopped fresh ginger
  • 1 ½ tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp fennel seeds
  • ½ tsp chili pepper or cayenne
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • salt

Instructions:

  1. Soak  the mung beans for 8 hours. Pour off the water and rinse.
  2. Rinse the red lentils, then bring to a boil in 1 litre water. Let them cook for 20 minutes. (The original recipe calls for 1.5 litres, so add more at the end if the dal is too thick.)
  3. Add the mung beans to the pot and let cook for another 15 minutes.
  4. Peel and chop the onion and garlic.
  5. Melt the butter in a frying pan. Add the garlic, onion, ginger, cumin, fennel seeds, chili pepper and turmeric to the butter and fry, stirring.
  6. Add the butter mixture to the lentils and cook for another 10 minutes. Add 1 tsp salt or to taste.
  7. Serve with fresh paratha or naan bread.

Lentils with Potatoes and Curry

Serves: 4

Source: How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

Serves: 4
Source: How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dried brown (or green) lentils, washed and picked over
  • 3 1/2 cups water, coconut milk, or vegetable stock, plus more if needed
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 2 medium russett potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Yoghurt for garnish
  • Minced fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

Instructions:

  1. Combine the lentils, liquid, and curry powder in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn the heat down to medium-low so that the mixture bubbles gently, cover partially, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils start to absorb the water a bit, about 15 minutes.
  2. Add the potatoes and cover the pan completely. Cook, undisturbed, for 10 minutes or so, then stir gently and check to make sure the lentils aren’t too dry. If so, add a little more liquid. Add salt as the lentils become tender.
  3. Cover and continue cooking until the lentils are soft and beginning to turn to mush and the potatoes are tender at the centre, another 5 to 10 minutes; add liquid if necessary. The mixture should be moist but not soupy. Add lots of black pepper, stir, then taste and adjust the seasoning and serve, garnished with yoghurt and cilantro.

Simplest Dal

Serves: 4

Source: How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

Serves: 4
Source: How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dried red lentils, washed and picked over
  • 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 4 cardamom pods
  • 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 1 ancho or other mild dried chile (optional)
  • Salt
  • 2 tablespoons cold butter or peanut oil (optional)
  • Chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

Instructions:

  1. Combine the lentils, ginger, garlic, cardamom, mustard seeds, cloves, pepper, and chile in a saucepan and add water to cover by about 1 inch. Cook at a steady simmer until the lentils are quite soft, 20 to 30 minutes, salting the lentils often.
  2. Remove the cloves and, if you like, the cardamom pods (they’re kind of fun to eat though). Stir in the butter or oil if you’re using it. Taste and adjust the seasoning, the garnish with cilantro and serve.

Curried Lentils in Tomato Sauce

Serves: 6 Servings

Source: Food Magazine (Julie)

Serves: 6 Servings
Source: Food Magazine (Julie)

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 piece fresh ginger (2 inches long), peeled and finely grated
  • 2 teaspoons curry paste
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 jar (26 ounces) best-quality store-bought tomato sauce
  • 2 cans (20 ounces each) cooked lentils, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • Cooked basmati (or other long-grain white) rice, for serving

Instructions:

  1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add onion and ginger; season with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 5 to 8 minutes.
  2. Add spices; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds.
  3. Add tomato sauce, lentils, and 1 cup water. Simmer until slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in lime juice and cilantro; season with salt.
  4. Serve lentil mixture with rice; garnish with more cilantro, if desired.