G&G Table: Red Lentil Curry
20 Servings | Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 35 mins | Total Time: 45 mins
Ingredients:
5 tablespoons coconut oil
20 cloves garlic, minced
10 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced/grated
5 tablespoons fresh turmeric
5-10 serrano peppers, diced
5 teaspoons ground cumin
2.5 teaspoons ground coriander
2.5 teaspoons Indian red chili powder (or 1 teaspoon regular chili powder)
10 teaspoons curry powder
5 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
5 cups red lentils
10 cups low sodium vegetable broth
5 (14 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
5 (13.5 oz) full fat coconut milk
15 tablespoons unsweetened creamy almond butter
2.5 small lemon, juiced
2.5 cups fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
For serving: basmati or jasmine rice, Indian flatbread (roti, paratha, or naan)
Instructions:
Rinse the lentils in cold water until it runs clear.
Heat a large, deep skillet or large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the coconut oil. Once the oil is simmering, add the garlic, ginger, fresh turmeric (if using), and serrano pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent garlic from burning.
Add the cumin, coriander, chili powder, curry powder, garam masala, salt, and black pepper to taste. Cook for 30-60 seconds until fragrant, tossing frequently to prevent burning. If using ground turmeric instead of fresh turmeric, add the ground turmeric now, along with the rest of the spices.
Pour in the vegetable broth, and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add in the lentils and the crushed tomatoes and mix well. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through and have mostly softened. If you find that the lentils are not quite soft after 25 minutes, add a few spoons more of broth or water and cook for another 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and stir in the coconut milk, almond butter, along with salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking on low heat, uncovered for 5-8 minutes, until the curry has thickened and is creamy.
Finally, stir in the lemon juice and cilantro, and turn off the heat. If you want your lentils to be even creamier, use an immersion blender to lightly purée the curry.
Serve the curry with rice and/or Indian flatbread and garnish with additional cilantro. Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Notes:
If you can’t tolerate spicy food whatsoever, you can omit the chili peppers. If you can handle a little heat, use 1 serrano pepper (remove the seeds) or 1 jalapeño pepper (with the seeds), and if you really like things on the spicy side, use 2 serrano peppers (with seeds intact).