Rainy Day Curried Lentils

Rainy Leap Day evenings should be spent on the couch, finally catching up on The United States of Tara. As we head into March, all I can think about is asparagus. Meanwhile, red lentils will have to do the trick.

Like coffee and wine, with spices I start with what’s grown close to me, but quickly venture off in the sweet and savory name of globalization. In this case, a favorite blend of curry adds layers to a dish that would otherwise taste like, well…lentils.

Curried Lentils with Spinach
Adapted slightly from Chez Us
Serves 2-4 and costs about $6

2 shallots, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 cup red lentils
2 teaspoons of your favorite curry
3 cups of vegetable stock (see my recipe below)
½ cup of crushed or diced tomatoes, preserved from summer
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups spinach, chopped
¼ cup sour cream

Heat oil over medium heat in soup kettle or Dutch oven. Add shallot and cook for a few minutes. Then add garlic, lentils and half of curry, and cook for a few minutes more. Add stock, tomatoes, cover with a slightly tilted lid, and cook for 25-40 minutes. While lentils cook, mix remaining curry and sour cream. Remove lentils from heat, stir in spinach, and add a spoonful of sour cream.


Vegetable Stock
Grab your favorite seasonal vegetables. In this case, I had a potato, parsnip, two onions, two carrots, two garlic cloves, broccoli stem, and some cloves. Wash if dirty, cut into 2-in pieces, then put in a large soup kettle filled with water and salt. Bring to boil, then simmer—slightly covered—for a few hours. Strain through a cheesecloth, and freeze in 2-cup containers.



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Umbrella photo by Unlimited