BEST SPICED LENTILS WITH CARROTS RECIPE

If you've been hanging out with me for a while, you know how much I love lentils. It's cheap, easy to cook and an empty plate for flavor. This week I decided to take one of my favorite spices and add it to some lentils. Warm cumin, garlic, and ginger are paired with the sweetness of ginger, cinnamon, and carrot to create a complex flavor that is out of this world. Pour these sauce-seasoned lentils over something starchy like polenta, rice, or mashed sweet potatoes and you're in lentil heaven.

HOT BUT NOT HOT.

Lentils are cooked with spicy, sweet and savory spices, but not hot or spicy. I added half a teaspoon of ground red pepper to the mixture which gives the back a slight kick, but I still don't consider it spicy in any way. If you are sensitive to spicy flavors, you can reduce or eliminate the ground red pepper.

WHAT TYPE OF LENTILS SHOULD BE USED?

This recipe is designed for brown or green lentils (not French green lentils, which take longer to cook). These types of lentils cook in about 20-30 minutes of boiling, do not require soaking, and retain their shape when cooked. I don't recommend red, orange, or yellow lentils for this recipe because they degrade quickly when cooked and leave you with something like mash or porridge.

THE WAY TO PRESENT THE SPICED LENTILS

You can serve these pulses on their own in a bowl with some crusty bread for dipping, or spoon them over any starch. It's served me on top of cornmeal (like polenta or grits), but you can also serve it over rice, mashed white potatoes, sweet potatoes, farro, or any other grain you like.

PREPARE THE FOOD!

I think this spicy lentil would be a great vegetarian or vegan meal. They will keep well in the refrigerator for four to five days and should be quickly reheated in the microwave. They also freeze well, so you can keep a few extra portions in the freezer!

SPICY LENTILS WITH CARROTS

This spicy, sweet and savory spiced dal pairs well with leftover lentils and makes a very comforting vegetarian meal.

 Prep Time: 10 mins

 Cook Time: 40 mins

 Total Time: 50 mins

INGREDIENTS

1 yellow onion ($0.32)

4 cloves garlic ($0.32)

1 tsp fresh grated ginger ($0.10)

4 carrots (about 2 cups chopped) ($0.56)

2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)

1 tsp ground cumin ($0.10)

1/2 tsp cinnamon ($0.05)

1/2 tsp allspice ($0.05)

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper ($0.02)

1 cup brown lentils ($0.67)

3 Tbsp tomato paste ($0.15)

1/4 cup chopped dried apricots or raisins* ($0.75)

3 cups vegetable broth ($0.40)

1 Tbsp chopped parsley (optional) ($0.10)

INSTRUCTIONS

Chop the onion, chop the garlic, grate the ginger, peel and chop the carrots.

Add onion, garlic, ginger and olive oil to a deep skillet. Sauté over medium heat until onions are soft and translucent (about five minutes).

Add the chopped carrots, cumin, cinnamon, allspice and ground red pepper to the skillet. Continue frying for another two minutes.

Next, add the cooked lentils, tomato paste, raisins or chopped apricots, and broth to the skillet. Stir until the tomato paste dissolves in the broth. Put a lid on the pan and raise the temperature.

Let the broth fully boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and allow lentils to simmer in broth with the lid on for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After 30 minutes, the lentils and carrots should be very soft. Taste the lentils and add salt or pepper if needed (this will depend on the amount of salt in your broth, I didn't add any).

Serve the seasoned lentils with crusty bread for a dip or on a bed of polenta or mashed potatoes. Top with fresh chopped parsley, if desired.

Notes

*Raisins are a more economical option here (golden or purple raisins), but I had dried apricots on hand so I used them instead of buying raisins specifically for this recipe.

HOW TO PREPARE LENTILS WITH CARROTS - A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

Chop a yellow onion, chop four cloves of garlic, grate about a teaspoon of fresh ginger, peel and chop four carrots. Add onion, garlic and ginger to a deep skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Fry over medium heat until onions are soft and translucent.

Add the chopped carrots to the skillet, along with 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, and 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper. Continue frying for another two minutes.

Add 1 cup of uncooked brown lentils, 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, and 3 cups of vegetable broth to the skillet.

Also add ½ cup of chopped dried apricots or raisins to the pan. If using dried apricots, cut them into raisin-sized pieces.

Stir everything together until the tomato paste is homogeneous in the broth. Put a lid on the pan, put on high heat, and let the broth completely boil. After boiling, reduce the heat to medium and let the lentils simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

After 30 minutes, the lentils and carrots should be soft. Taste and add salt if needed. I didn't add anything, but depending on the amount of salt in your broth, you may need a little more to make the flavors stand out.

Serve the seasoned lentils with crusty bread for a dip or on a bed of polenta or mashed potatoes. Top with fresh chopped parsley, if desired.