Madras Lentils Recipes

MADRAS LENTILS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven or medium-high heat. Add onion, pepper, ginger and garlic; cook until vegetables are softened, 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in tomato paste, chili powder, garam masala, cumin, salt, paprika, and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute.
• Stir in broth and lentils, increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes.
• Stir in beans, vinegar, and honey; season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve lentils over rice or with naan bread, top with cilantro and a drizzle of coconut milk or half-and-half, if using.
• Store lentils in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

MADRAS LENTILS

Steps:

• Saute onion and garlic in some canola oil.
• Add cumin, chili powder and cayenne, stir it in with the onions and garlic for a couple minutes.
• Added a can of crushed tomatoes (not drained). This is when you add the green chilies if you use them.
• Lowered the heat and let it cook down for a bit. About 5-10min.
• Added cooked lentils (cooked from dry) and red beans, no need to add water.
• Add the salt, lowered the heat and let it cook down until it thickened.
• Added just the smallest amount (mixed into each serving of a maybe half tsp) of plain fat free greek yogurt to give it a creamier texture.

INSTANT POT DAL MAKHANI WITH BROWN RICE

Steps:

• Rinse and soak black gram beans and red kidney beans in 3 cups of water. Overnight or 6-8 hours. Drain the water after soaking and keep the beans aside.
• Set Instant Pot to sauté mode and heat oil. Add cumin seeds to the oil and allow them to sizzle. Add onions and mix well.
• Add ginger, garlic, turmeric, red chili powder, salt, tomatoes and beans. Add water and mix well.
• To make pot-in-pot brown rice (optional step)- Add rice, water, and salt to a stainless steel container. Put a tall trivet over the beans. Place the rice container on the trivet.
• Close Instant Pot with pressure valve to sealing. Pressure Cook (Hi) for 30 minutes followed by Natural Pressure Release.
• Open Instant Pot and set to sauté mode. Carefully take out the Rice container and the trivet. Stir in cream, add garam masala and garnish with cilantro and dried fenugreek leaves.