Curried Red Lentils with Fried Cauliflower and Peanuts

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Curried Red Lentils with Fried Cauliflower and Peanuts from Peas and Hoppiness - www.peasandhoppiness.com

I just returned home to Colorado from Sunny Southern California. The average temperature there was in the 60s. Today the high is a mere 38 degrees – which is about 30 degrees warmer than it’s been in the last week.

Winter, I’m kind of over you.

But if you must snow me in and prevent me from manufacturing my own vitamin D from the beautiful sunshine, I’ll celebrate the season by sharing this oh-my-god-I-didn’t-know-lentils-could-be-this-good recipe with you.

Unlike a couple of my other favorite lentils dishes (see: Lentil Frito Pie and Mujadara, for example), this recipe uses red lentils.

Curried Red Lentils with Fried Cauliflower and Peanuts from Peas and Hoppiness - www.peasandhoppiness.com

What’s the difference, you ask? Quite a lot, actually. In fact, although my love of lentils runs deep, my experience with the the many varieties of lentils is quite limited. The two lentils I cook with are brown lentils and hulled red lentils. These two types are easy to find in virtually any grocery store. Beyond these types, you’re probably visiting a specialty store or need to take a quick trip to India.

Brown Lentils

Brown Lentils

Brown Lentils

Brown lentils is a generic term for the most common type of lentil you’ll encounter in the store. Like all legumes, they are very high in protein. Compared to red lentils they are even higher in fiber – specifically insoluble fiber, the type of fiber that provides bulk to your diet (think: the ribs of celery as an example of insoluble fiber).

Brown lentils are hearty and stand up to cooking well – unless you cook too long or with too much water; then they can turn a bit mushy. They are a great vegetarian substitute for ground meat (try my Lentil Tater Tot Casserole as an example!).

 

Red Lentils

Red Lentils

Red Lentils

Red lentils have a much different texture and use than brown lentils. This type of lentil is usually hulled and split, a process which removes the outer part of the legume which contains most of the aforementioned insoluble fiber.

Having been hulled, red lentils cook faster and are much softer than brown lentils. They have an almost creamy texture and lend themselves well to creamy stews. Although red at the outset of cooking, there color is more of a burnt orange or brown by the time they have finished cooking.

For a great overview of all the different kinds of lentils out there, check out this blog post from OhMyVeggies.com.

Curried Red Lentils with Fried Cauliflower and Peanuts from Peas and Hoppiness - www.peasandhoppiness.com

Today, I encourage you to try these super-yummy superfoods in this unique, mouth-watering dish.

Peeling fresh ginger root

Peeling fresh ginger root

Don’t let the long list of ingredients for this recipe intimidate you. Middle-Eastern lentils dishes tend to use lots of spices that we’re not as familiar with, but aren’t necessarily going to make-or-break your dish. I use as many spices as I have, then don’t worry if I’ve left out a few. My palate is not sensitive enough to miss the star anise I didn’t use.

Start by melting 1/4 cup unsalted butter in a 6-quart saucepan. Dice a medium white onion and add to saucepan to sauté. Mince a clove of garlic and add to onion. Peel and mince about 2 teaspoons worth of fresh garlic and add to saucepan along with a Tablespoon of your favorite mild curry powder and a four-teaspoon cinnamon (or half a cinnamon stick).

Sauté onion and spices until onions are translucent and soft, then add one pound (about 2 cups) dry red lentils and four cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer about 30 minutes until lentils are tender and have absorbed almost all of the liquid. If lentils become too dry and start to stick to bottom of the pan, add a little more water.

Once lentils are fully cooked, add one teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup yogurt, and cream to give lentils a loose consistency.

Curried Red Lentils with Fried Cauliflower and Peanuts from Peas and Hoppiness - www.peasandhoppiness.com

Curried Red Lentils with Fried Cauliflower and Peanuts from Peas and Hoppiness - www.peasandhoppiness.com

While lentils are cooking, wash a head of cauliflower and cut into 1-inch florets. Heat a fourth-cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté cauliflower until starting to brown and tender. Season with juice from half a lemon.

Curried Red Lentils with Fried Cauliflower and Peanuts from Peas and Hoppiness - www.peasandhoppiness.com

Meanwhile, dry roast peanuts by tossing in a small skillet over medium high heat for 5-8 minutes. Shake pan to turn nuts to cook evenly. Remove from heat when starting to brown and heated through.

Serve lentils hot and top with cauliflower, two tablespoons peanuts, tablespoon of yogurt, and sprinkle of lemon juice.

Enjoy!

Curried Red Lentils with Fried Cauliflower and Peanuts from Peas and Hoppiness.jpg

Curried red lentils with fried cauliflower and peanuts

Ingredients

Curried Red Lentils with Fried Cauliflower and Peanuts from Peas and Hoppiness - www.peasandhoppiness.com

Curried Red Lentils

  • 1/4 c. unsalted butter

  • 1 medium white onion

  • 2-3 cloves garlic

  • 2 tsp. fresh minced ginger

  • 1 Tbsp. curry powder

  • 1/2 cinnamon stick OR 1/8 tsp. cinnamon

  • 1 lb. red lentils (about 2 cups)

  • 4-5 c. water

  • 1 tsp. salt

  • 1/4 c. plain yogurt

  • 1/3 c. whole milk

     

Toppings: Fried Cauliflower, Peanuts, and Extras

  • 1/4 c. olive oil

  • 1 medium head cauliflower

  • 1 lemon, juiced, divided (about 4 Tbsp.)

  • 1/2 c. peanuts

  • 6 Tbsp. plain yogurt

     

Instructions

  1. In a 6-quart saucepan melt butter over medium-low heat.

  2. While butter melts, dice onion, mince garlic, and mince ginger. Add to pot to begin to sauté as they are ready.

  3. Turn heat to medium and add curry powder and cinnamon. Continue to sauté until onions are translucent and spices are fragrant.

  4. Add lentils and water to pot. Turn up heat to high to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, about 30 minutes until lentils are very tender and have absorbed all liquid. Stir lentils occasionally; if becoming too dry and lentils start to stick to bottom of the pot, add a little more water.

  5. While  lentils cook, fry cauliflower: wash cauliflower and cut into 1-inch florets. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat , add cauliflower florets and sauté until tender enough to insert a fork and are starting to brown. Stir in half the lemon juice to season.

  6. While cauliflower sautés, dry roast peanuts: add peanuts to a small skillet (without oil) and heat over medium-high heat 5-8 minutes, shaking pan to turn nuts and cook evenly. Remove from heat when starting to brown and hot.

  7. Once lentils have absorbed all the water, stir in salt, 1/4 cup yogurt, and whole milk.  Remove from heat and serve lentils topped with cauliflower, peanuts, yogurt, and a sprinkle of lemon juice.

     

Prep time: 25-30 min // Cook time: 30 min // Total time: 50-60 min // Serves 6 – Serving Size: 1 c. lentils + 1/2 c. cauliflower + 1 1/2 Tbsp. peanuts + 1 Tbsp. yogurt — Nutrients per serving:  513 calories — 24g total fat — 7g saturated fat — 0g trans fat — 24mg cholesterol — 607mg sodium — 55g total carbohydrates — 23g fiber — 7g sugar — 23g protein

 

Printable Recipe

Curried Red Lentils with Fried Cauliflower and Peanuts

Serving Size

Serves 4

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Print

Ingredients

Lentils
  • 1 Yellow onion (sliced)
  • 2 clove Garlic (minced)
  • 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil (for lentils)
  • 1 tbsp Fresh ginger (minced or grated)
  • 1 tbsp Curry powder
  • 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 cup Dry red lentils
  • 3 cup Water
  • 1/2 tsp Salt (wait to add until lentils are fully cooked)
  • 1/4 cup Plain greek yogurt (plus more for topping; can substitute plain coconut yogurt for dairy-free)
  • 1/4 cup Whole milk (substitute coconut or almond milk for dairy-free)
Pan-Fried Cauliflower
  • 1 head Cauliflower (cut into 1-inch florets)
  • 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil (for cauliflower)
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 Lemon (divided)
Peanuts
  • 1/2 cup Raw peanuts

Nutrition

Serving Size: 3/4 cup lentils + 1 cup cauliflower + 2 Tbsps peanuts + 1 Tbsps yogurt
Calories: 405 calories
Total Fat: 18g
Cholesterol: 2mg
Sodium: 363mg
Total Carbohydrates: 25g
Fiber: 20g
Protein: 22g

Instructions

Curried Red Lentils
  1. Dice onion and mince garlic. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onion, and garlic and cook until the onion softens, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  2. Mince ginger. Once onion is translucent, add ginger, curry powder, and cinnamon. Stir to combine and cook until spices are fragrant, 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add lentils and water to pot. Turn up heat to high to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, 25-30 minutes until lentils are very tender and have absorbed all liquid; they will be the consistency of thick porridge when cooked. Stir lentils occasionally; if becoming too dry and lentils start to stick to bottom of the pot, add a little more water.
Pan-Fried Cauliflower
  1. While lentils cook, cut cauliflower into 1-inch florets. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Once hot, add oil, then add cauliflower florets. Cook, stirring occasionally, 10-15 minutes until cauliflower is soft enough to pierce with a fork and starting to brown. Season with salt and juice from half of the lemon.
Peanuts
  1. Towards end of cooking time of lentils, dry roast peanuts: add peanuts to a small skillet (without oil) and heat over medium-high heat 5-8 minutes, shaking pan to turn nuts and cook evenly. Remove from heat when starting to brown and hot.
To Serve
  1. Once lentils have absorbed all the water, stir in salt, yogurt, and milk. Remove from heat and serve lentils topped with peanuts, additional yogurt, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Notes

  • Serve with pan-fried cauliflower or over rice for a more filling meal.
  • Lentils store well. Refrigerate in airtight container up to 5 days; freeze for up to 3 months. Do not freeze leftover cauliflower.
  • trim top and base off onion, then peel tough outer layers (usually top 1—2 layers). Slice in half lengthwise and lay the onion with the cut (flat) side face down. Slice the onion into thin wedges, about 1/4-inch thick, then turn a quarter-turn and dice.
  • smash garlic clove: place flat edge of chef’s knife on top of clove and press firmly with palm of the hand; remove papery skin. Cut clove into very thin slices. Stack slices and cut into very thin matchsticks. Turn a quarter-turn and mince finely.
  • using the edge of a spoon, scrape off the papery brown skin of the ginger. Slice into very thin slices; stack slices on top of each other and cut into very thin matchsticks. Turn a quarter-turn and cut into tiny pieces. Stack pieces and chop, repeating until pieces are very small.
  • trim greens from base of cauliflower and cut in half. Remove stem by cutting a “V” just under start of florets. Discard tough stem. Cut florets from stem into approximately 1/2-inch pieces.

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