Ever go to an Indian restaurant and wonder how they make those lentils? I hated lentils before I discovered Indian food. Then I scoured the internet to figure out how they achieved them, and through mixing and matching recipes and methods on videos, I've arrived at this recipe, which I think is pretty close. This version is very rich, but you can leave out the cream to make it lighter. Kasuri methi (fenugreek leaves) is almost impossible to find in the U.S., even in NYC, but it gives this dish something very special.
Ingredients
- lentils: 1 cup
- dry kidney beans: 0.25 cup (optional)
- water to cover: 0 piece
- water: 5 cups
- salt: 0 piece (to taste)
- vegetable oil: 2 Tbsp
- cumin seeds: 1 Tbsp
- cardamom pods: 4 piece
- cinnamon stick, broken: 1 piece
- bay leaves: 4 piece
- whole cloves: 6 piece
- ginger paste: 1.5 Tbsp
- garlic paste: 1.5 Tbsp
- ground turmeric: 0.5 tsp
- cayenne pepper: 1 pinch (to taste)
- canned tomato puree: 1 cup (to taste)
- chili powder: 1 Tbsp
- ground coriander: 2 Tbsp
- butter: 0.25 cup
- fenugreek leaves: 2 Tbsp (dried, optional)
- cream: 0.5 cup (optional)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Place lentils and kidney beans in a large bowl; cover with plenty of water. Soak for at least 2 hours or overnight. Drain.
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Cook lentils, kidney beans, 5 cups water, and salt in a pot over medium heat until tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Remove from heat and set aside. Keep the lentils, kidney beans, and any excess cooking water in the pot.
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Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook cumin seeds in the hot oil until they begin to pop, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and cloves; cook until bay leaves turn brown, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low; add ginger paste, garlic paste, turmeric, and cayenne pepper. Stir to coat.
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Stir tomato puree into spice mixture; cook over medium heat until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder, coriander, and butter; cook and stir until butter is melted.
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Stir lentils, kidney beans and any leftover cooking water into tomato mixture; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Stir fenugreek into lentil mixture. Cover saucepan and simmer until heated through, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Add cream and cook until heated through, 2 to 4 minutes.
