My attempts at making and liking Indian food continues. Looking for a meatless entry and one that used the lentils I had already, I found this recipe for Red Lentil Curry.
Ok, so my lentils were not red. I had the white ones in the pantry.
I used chicken broth as I had it on hand.
Fry up the scallions.
Cooking the lentils.
It was a decent hearty dish. Like all the other Indian dishes I’ve made, it really doesn’t fit my palate.
Red Lentil Curry
Prep Time: 10m | Cook Time: 30m | Makes: 4
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 8 scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 4 medium carrots (about 8 ounces), chopped
- 1 large russet potato (about 10 ounces), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup red lentils
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- kosher salt and black pepper
- naan bread and lime wedges, for serving
Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and scallion whites and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the curry powder. Add the carrots, potato, lentils, broth, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Sprinkle the curry with the scallion greens and serve with the naan and lime wedges.
Nutritional Info:
Calories 374 Fat 11g Sat Fat 1g Cholesterol 5mg Sodium 549mg Protein 19g Carbohydrate 50g Sugar 7g Fiber 6g Iron 3mg Calcium 78mg
Rantings of an Amateur Chef 
Nice. Lentils always make me happy.
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I think the problem may be because you are using store bought curry powder, which uses a lot of turmeric. See if you can find one that is red, for Rogan Josh as an example. I think you’ll find that more to your palate. Good Indian food doesn’t use curry powder at all. You have to use all the different spices. A bit of a problem when you only use them occasionally, I know.
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Reblogged this on Nashville Gems and commented:
Curry and lentils. SO gonna make this today.
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Looks good to me but you might prefer it if you prepare your own curry paste from scratch. My favourite lentil curry recipe is here http://herbifit.wordpress.com/2012/08/25/vegetable-curry/
I like to cook the lentils down until they make a paste as well.
Mark
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One of the issues you may be having is that you are only experiencing one element of an Indian dish. If you go to an Indian restaurant, you will see that each dish is served with a number of condiments which balance out the flavor profile of the dish. Indian curry dishes often contain yogurt to counter the spiciness of the dish, just like Coconut milk is used in Thai curries. When trying out a new cuisine, try going out and trying them from restaurants, as authentic as you can find, and ask questions of the host, servers, chefs, etc. a recipe often leaves a lot out as far as what is served on the side or in addition to a dish.
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Ummm… I could send across some better indian recipes… let me know… cause we have an amazing variety of dishes which could fit your palate better…
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So interesting that you blog about recipes and cuisine that you don’t like! I love Indian food, but don’t think I would like the carrots in this recipe. Years ago I used a flatmate’s recipe for a yellow lentil curry that also had cauliflower and tomatoes. I think mustard seed also. For the past two decades I have been craving that recipe and hope to find the cookbook someday. Maybe I need trip to the U.K., as it was during Junior Year Abroad….
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I think the suggestions made such as going out to good Indian restaurants and finding something you like and not buying store bought spices are spot on. Nothing beats making curry pastes from scratch as well as spice blends…the taste is so far removed from store bought stuff…and of course, there are so many different types of curry…also check out the different types of lentils to use in curries as some are better suited than others and really need to be cooked down. Have fun exploring!
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I love Indian food but that should come as no surprise as curry is Britain’s national dish…but that doesn’t look very appetising, I agree. I agree with all the comments here. Go to a good Indian restaurant to get an idea of the flavours and make at home with spices from scratch. If you don’t want to buy them all, at least buy a curry paste. I also think the red lentils would have made a big difference. I can get you the link for a chicken curry to die for, if you’re interested 🙂
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Try butter chicken curry. I swear you will never look back. I posted a recipe somewhere in the depths of the past…
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Not really the lentils I’m used too. And, No! No! No! – you can’t use chicken stock to make Indian daal, that’s an abomination 🙂
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Any recipe for curry instructing you to use “curry powder” is bound to be disappointing. Curry is a blend of spices and no two curry powders are the same. It’s most likely either cumin or fenugreek that doesn’t agree with your palate.
Do you generally enjoy curries from Indian restaurants? If so, try making your curries using a base masala: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im_ZpopRg8Y
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