Lentil Curry

Another thing I've never really tried cooking at home is lentils. I briefly looked for a recipe for lentils, and I was surprised to find not much variety - most recipes were for lentil soups and curries. I made this curry from Vij's cookbook, which was delicious, but I'll definitely be looking for different ways to cook up the bag of lentils I bought.

The book says this is often an accompaniment to the evening meal, meant to be served as a side dish, but we ate it with basmati rice and some vegetables as our whole dinner.


Green lentils almost fully dissolve in water when cooked whereas red lentils maintain their shape. The combination of equal amounts of green and red lentils give a nice texture to the dish.

Lentil Curry
Adapted from Vij's Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine
Yield: 6 servings
Print recipe

1/2 cup green lentils
1/2 cup red lentils
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger, grated
3/4 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped

1. Place lentils, water, salt, and turmeric in a large pot and stir.


2. Bring lentils to a boil, then stir and cover most of the pot with the lid.


3. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender.


4. While the lentils are cooking, melt the butter in a shallow frying pan over medium heat.


5. Add cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle for 15 seconds.


6. Add onions and saute until brown, about 5 minutes.


7. Add ginger, tomatoes, and cayenne and saute, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes or until the oil glistens on top.


8. Pour masala into the pot with the hot cooked lentils and stir well.


9. Just before serving, stir in cilantro.