Thursday, August 8, 2013

Spicy Spinach and Lentil Curry- Vegan Version (Throwback Thursdays)

Yum

Original photo from 2011
When I eat a rice and curry meal, I always have a mild dish to offset the spicier dishes.  Although I titled this as spicy because I used whole pieces of dried chilies, it's not as spicy as most Sri Lankan curries. We usually eat  my Basic Lentils, but it's nice to jazz them up sometimes.  I love how the spinach compliments the lentils here.  You can eat this with rice alone.  Well, at least I can. This is a great way for my kids to get some extra greens in their diet too.  So it's a winning dish in this mother's eyes.


Throwback Thursday is a new series where I take some of my original posts here on  Curry and Comfort and redo them so I can take better photos.



Ingredients:
1 cup Masoor Lentils
2 cups water
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 small piece of cinnamon stick
1 medium onion chopped
2 green chilies
2-3 garlic cloves minced
2 tsp of ginger grated
10-20 curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp cumin seed
2-3 broken dried red chilies
6-8oz fresh spinach  (frozen spinach can be used as well)
1 cup of coconut milk.

Directions:

Step 1: Wash the Masoor Lentils well in cold running water.  If you see any stones, make sure you pick them out.  Place in a shallow pan with water, cinnamon stick, 10 curry leaves and turmeric.   Boil on medium high heat for 20 minutes.  You will know the lentils are done when the water has cooked out and the lentils are soft and tender.  The turmeric will give the lentils a sunny yellow color.


Step 2: Heat a large pan with 2 Tbs of canola oil on med-high heat.  When the oil is heated, add the seeds, remaining curry leaves and dried chilies and fry until fragrant about 30-45 seconds.  Careful not to burn.  Next add the onions, garlic, ginger and green chilies with a little salt and fry for 1-2 minutes.

Then add the spinach and some salt.    Add 1 cup of coconut milk.






Now add the cooked lentils.  Stir well and add salt to taste. Simmer for 5-7 minutes.   Serves 4 people with rice as part of a rice and curry meal.  Enjoy.




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11 comments:

  1. Hello, I stopped by to visit your blog and say hello and say thank you for adding me as a friend on FB. What a cool name for a blog. Food brings us comfort on so many levels. And your dishes look like they do exactly that! I write a blog on Food and Relationships. All told through stories. Please stop by. Visit. Maybe Follow. It would be great to have you.
    Thanks

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  2. Thank you Mario for stopping by. I will certainly check your blog too. : )

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  3. I love spinach and this lentil curry looks delicious! Great colors too!

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  4. Yummy! The spicy spinach and lentil curry looks so delicious! I've been looking for a variety of curries since fall is approaching here in Oregon. As for Masoor lentils, are they different than regular lentils I usually see at my local groceries? And thank you for sharing a meatless meal, I appreciate seeing vegan and vegan-friendly recipes nowadays! ^_^

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    1. HI Rika, thank you for dropping by. The masoor lentils are small orange lentils that cook very fast (no soaking required). It's not the green or brown lentils that you usually find in the grocery store. You may be able to use those as well... it may taste different... but still good I'm sure. If you have an Indian grocers near you... they will definitely carry masoor lentils. Enjoy. :)

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  5. I just started a vegetarian diet this week and tried lentils for the first time. Love them! So I'm happy to see this meal, which looks fantastic and flavorful!

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  6. Wonderful looking dish, definitely want to give this a try!

    Happy Blogging!
    Happy Valley Chow

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  7. You know I am a huge fan of your curry recipes! This looks so good!

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  8. Works so perfect with the name of your blog, this is a curry which is comfort food for many and I love it. Looks delicious.

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  9. I want to always read your blogs. I love them Are you also searching for Nursing case study writing services? we are the best solution for you. We are best known for delivering Nursing case study writing services to students without having to break the bank

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