Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry & Naan

Barb Mann

The other night made this luscious Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry and made some Naan to go with it! The tumeric and cayenne pepper made it feel like a bit of Spring tonic! AND, it was YUMMY! Fairly easy to make overall just have to plan ahead a little. Since this was a bit soupy, I made some rice to serve it over and served it in a bowl. Next time I think I'll add a few more lentils (a cup and a half instead of just a cup), a bit more cayenne (I used 1 t and could feel a bit of heat but would like more). I also didn't have cherry tomatoes but did have some broccoli florets from our deep winter greenhouse so added that in, which we liked. I ended up with dried cilantro as I didn't have fresh (would have preferred fresh).

Since we still have LOTS of greens from our deep winter greenhouse, the meal included a mixed

greens salad. Not very Indian culturally with this dish, but .. .hey ... it's all good! Enjoy!

CREAMY COCONUT LENTIL CURRY (from The Mindless Meal)

yield: 6 SERVINGS prep time: 5 MINS cook time: 55 MINS total time: 1 HR

INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1 tablespoon each: cumin seeds and coriander seeds 1 head garlic, chopped (10-12 cloves) 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes 2 tablespoons ginger chopped 1 tablespoon turmeric 2 teaspoons sea salt 1 cup dried brown lentils 1-2 teaspoons cayenne powder, optional 3 cups water 15 ounce can coconut milk A few handfuls of cherry tomatoes 1 cup chopped cilantro INSTRUCTIONS 1 Heat the coconut oil in a large pot or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin and coriander seeds and toast until they start to brown, about 45 seconds. Add the garlic to the pot and let it brown, about 2 minutes. 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1 tablespoon each: cumin seeds and coriander seeds 1 head garlic

2 Add the can of crushed tomatoes, ginger, turmeric, and sea salt to the pot and cook, stirring the pot a few times, for 5 minutes. Add the lentils and, if using, the cayenne powder, and the water to the pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 35-40 minutes, or until the lentils are soft. Stir the pot a few times to prevent the lentils from sticking to the bottom. If the curry starts to look dry, add an extra ½ - 1 cup of water. 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes 2 tablespoons ginger 1 tablespoon turmeric 2 teaspoons sea salt 1 cup dried brown lentils 1-2 teaspoons cayenne powder 3 cups water

3 Once the lentils are soft and the curry is thick, add the coconut milk and cherry tomatoes and bring the pot back to a simmer. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cilantro. 15 ounce can coconut milk A few handfuls of cherry tomatoes, 1 cup chopped cilantro

NUTRITION INFORMATION: serving: 1 ½ cups, calories: 354kcal, carbohydrates: 36g, protein: 13g, fat: 20g, saturated fat: 17g, polyunsaturated fat: 1g, monounsaturated fat: 1g, sodium: 965mg, potassium: 962mg, fiber: 15g, sugar: 9g, vitamin a: 477IU, vitamin c: 18mg, calcium: 93mg, iron: 6mg https://www.theendlessmeal.com/creamy-coconut-lentil-curry

The Naan is just plain easy and fun to make, again have to plan an hour ahead as the dough rises an hour before cooking it on the stove top. One recipe makes 8 pieces of Naan.

NAAN (the best recipe)

(from Rasa Malaysia) 1 t sugar 1/2 c warm water 2 1/4 t dry yeast

Add the above together in a small bowl and let sit for 10 minutes til it becomes foamy.

Add in the following: 2 1/4 c all-purpose flour 1/2 c plain yogurt 1/2 t salt

1 T oil

Mix as best you can with a wooden spoon, then use your hands. Knead until it becomes smooth and "shiney", about 10 minutes (I start kneading in the bowl to get most of the ingredients all sticking together and then transfer to a counter surface to finish kneading. The directions actually say to heap up the flour on the counter, create a center "hole" and add rest of ingredients and mix. I like mixing in the bowl first but up to you.) Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place til double, about an hour. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll out each piece to approx. 8" diameter.

Heat up a skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat and lightly grease the surface with a bit of oil. Place a rolled out piece onto the skillet and once it puffs up/bubbles - turn it over to cook the other side. Doesn't take long so be mindful to not burn (the "blisters" will get a bit brown/black which is fine). Repeat for all the pieces. Can wrap in a warm, slightly damp towel to keep warm til serving time.