Indian Yellow Lentils

I really didn’t know what to name this recipe.  What I love about my cooking journey is appreciating ingredients and getting good knowledge in flavor profiles.  I called this dish Indian Yellow Lentils because the flavors used to enhance the yellow lentils are Indian in origin.  However, I did not follow any recipe.  I just threw this together, literally.  I am still finishing the stir-in-pastes I have in my fridge.  

Indian Yellow Lentils

Indian Yellow Lentils

My wife and I just love Indian flavors.  This dish gets it unique flavor from the ginger, garlic and lemongrass stir-in-pastes.  The creaminess of the dish comes from the coconut milk.  I love to use coconut milk.  It adds a mild flavor that is very typical to this region of Asia.  I always use coconut milk for any dish that I want to make creamy.  It has a lower fat and calorie content than using heavy cream.        

This is the first time I have cooked with yellow lentils.  Actually, these were yellow dal.  Dal is a split lentil.  If you want a full guide to the different type of lentils available, check out this link from Indianphile.  Compared to red lentils, these lentils took a fair bit longer to cook.  When I have cooked red lentils, they took about 8 – 10 minutes to soften.  These yellow lentils took a good 15 minutes.  As an aside, isn’t it fun to use all these different lentil colors.  I love how they color the dish.  They each have there own unique flavor and I am learning these flavors as we eat more and more lentils.

Indian Yellow Lentils

2015-10-29 00:49:44

Serves 6

Yellow lentils flavored with Indian spices.

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Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

25 min

Total Time

30 min

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

25 min

Total Time

30 min

Ingredients

1. 2 cups Yellow Lentils
2. 1 tablespoon grape seed oil
3. 1 small onion, diced
4. 1 tablespoon ginger stir-in-paste
5. 1 tablespoon garlic stir-in-paste
6. 1 tablespoon lemongrass stir-in-paste
7. 1 teaspoon garam masala
8. 1 teaspoon salt
9. 1 teaspoon pepper
10. 13.5 ounces coconut milk
11. 14.5 ounce can of stewed tomatoes
12. 14.5 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes
13. 1 bunch fresh spinach
14. 1 russet potato, rough dice

Instructions

1. In a pot of boiling water, add the lentils and cook until soft, about 15 minutes.
2. Drain and set aside.
3. In a skillet on medium high heat, add the oil and cook until warm.
4. Add the onions, salt, pepper and garam masala. Cook until softened - 3 - 4 minutes.
5. Add in the stir-in-pastes and cook for 1 - 2 minutes.
6. Add in the tomatoes and cook for 1 minute.
7. Add in the diced potatoes, cover pan and cook for 10 minutes.
8. Next, add in the coconut milk, stir well and for 1 minute.
9. Next, add the spinach and cook until wilted about 3 minutes.
10. Finish by adding in the lentils. Mix well and cook for 2 - 3 more minutes.

Notes

1. Do not overcook the lentils.

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Spice Ingredients

Vegetable Ingredients

Onions and stir-in-pastes in skillet.

Stir-in-Pastes & Onions

Tomatoes added followed by the potatoes, wilted spinach and coconut milk.

Tomatoes Added

Potatoes Added

Spinach Wilted

The final plated Indian Yellow Lentils.