Curried Lentil Raisin Stew Food

CURRIED LENTIL RAISIN STEW

Steps:

• Saute onion in olive oil.
• One a time, as they are ready, add the other veggies, stirring with each addition.
• Stir in seasonings.
• Stir in lentils, raisins, and tomato paste.
• Add water to cover, bring to a boil and simmer to blend flavors.
• Cook rice according to your usual method. When the rice is done, the stew will be done.
• Each person can top their rice with stew and a spoonful of yogurt if desired.

LENTIL SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt, pepper, parsley and thyme together in a large mixing bowl. Add the warm lentils and bacon and stir to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.;
• Pick over the lentils, rinse and drain. Place the lentils along with the onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt and pork into a large 6-quart saucepan and cover with water by 2 to 3 inches. Place over high heat and bring just to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the lentils are tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Drain any remaining liquid and discard the onion, garlic, bay leaf and salt pork. Stir in black pepper and taste for salt. Serve immediately.
• Note from Alton: Those of you who watched this program on the 17th or 18th will want to disregard one particular suggestion I made regarding lentils: don't feed the left over onions to your dog. It turns out onions are not good for dogs in any shape or form. I'm grateful to the fans who emailed me after the airing for setting me straight on this nutritional peculiarity. As for my own dog's ability to digest onions, well...she's more hog than dog I guess.
• Cook smart,
• Alton

LENTIL STEW WITH COCONUT AND MADRAS CURRY

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, madras curry, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to soften, about 1 minute. Add the parsnips, sweet potatoes and red lentils and cook until warm, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the vegetable stock and coconut milk. Simmer until the vegetables are tender and the lentils are cooked, 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute more. Ladle the stew into bowls and garnish with the Fresno chile, fresh mint and a lime wedge. Serve with grilled naan if desired.

CURRIED LENTIL, SQUASH AND APPLE STEW

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat, and sauté onion and carrot until almost soft. Add garlic, ginger, curry and salt, and let cook a few more minutes until fragrant.
• Stir in lentils, broth and tomato paste. Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Add squash and apple, cover and simmer for another 25 minutes, or until vegetables and lentils are tender. Remove lid and stir in spinach until wilted. Add salt to taste and serve.

TOMATO-CURRY LENTIL STEW

Steps:

• Combine lentils and water, bring to a boil.
• Lower heat to simmer, add tomatoes, onion, and celery. Cover and let simmer 45 minutes. Check every 15 minutes to stir, and add water if necessary. Add spices last 15 minutes to taste. Taste and re-spice if necessary before serving.

CURRIED LENTILS

Steps:

• Rinse lentils and place in a saucepan with the water. Bring to a boil, then cover, and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in the curry paste, coconut cream and season with salt to taste. Return to a simmer, and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until tender.

MOROCCAN LENTIL STEW WITH RAISINS

Steps:

• Heat oil in medium saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 3 minutes, or until softened and translucent. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute, or until garlic is softened, but not browned, stirring constantly.
• Stir in tomatoes, soup, chickpeas, raisins, cinnamon, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Bring stew to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, or until mixture is reduced and sauce has thickened, stirring often from bottom to prevent sticking. Garnish each serving with one tablespoon yogurt.

CURRIED RED-LENTIL STEW WITH VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onion with 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring occasionally, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, purée ginger, garlic, and 1/3 cup water in a blender. Add purée to golden onion and cook, stirring, until water is evaporated and oil visibly separates from onion mixture, about 5 minutes. Add curry powder, turmeric, and cumin and cook over low heat, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in lentils and remaining 5 cups water and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Add carrots and remaining teaspoon salt and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender and lentils have broken down into a coarse purée, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Stir in spinach and peas and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until peas are tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in cilantro and season stew with salt and pepper. If necessary, add enough water to thin stew so that it can easily be ladled over rice.
• Just before serving, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook cumin seeds and red-pepper flakes, stirring, until fragrant and a shade darker, 30 to 45 seconds (be careful not to burn spices). Pour hot spice oil in a swirl over stew.

CURRIED CHICKPEA AND LENTIL DAL

Steps:

• Mustard Seed and Turmeric Oil:
• Cook oil and mustard seeds in a small saucepan over medium-low, swirling often, until mustard seeds start to pop. Remove from heat and stir in turmeric and cayenne. Season with salt; let cool.
• Cilantro-Raisin Chutney:
• Mix shallot, raisins, cilantro stems, lime juice, and oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• Stew and assembly:
• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium. Cook onions and garlic, cut side down, and ginger, stirring onions and ginger occasionally, until onions are translucent and garlic is golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Add curry powder and cayenne and cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chickpeas and 5 cups water, stirring to release any bits stuck on bottom of pot; season with several pinches of salt. Bring to a simmer; cover with a lid, leaving slightly askew so steam can escape. Cook, adjusting heat to maintain a very gentle simmer and skimming foam from surface as needed, until chickpeas have swelled about 50 percent in size but are still crunchy, 25-30 minutes.
• Add coconut milk and lentils to pot; season with more salt. Return to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until chickpeas are tender and lentils have broken down to form a thick broth, 30-35 minutes. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Ladle dal into bowls and serve with toasted Mustard Seed and Turmeric Oil, Cilantro-Raisin Chutney, coconut, chiles, and/or cilantro as desired.
• Do Ahead
• Oil can be made 1 day ahead. Store tightly covered at room temperature. Chutney can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Dal can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.