TEMPERED LENTILS
Tempered lentils are very Indian, with yellow lentils and tor lentils, and flavoured with a tempering of cumin seeds, garlic, and spices. Simple yet savoury, lentil curry is actually comfort food dearly held in the laps of Indian homes. Indeed, it is hard to resist this simple, filling, and surprisingly creamy lentils with deep flavour released through the tempered spices. Tempered lentils are mostly served with rice cooked in steamer or roti and naan flatbreads. The dish is very nutritious because it contains a lot of protein, so it is quite simple to prepare. So, at any time of the day, it is possible to have a healthy meal.
RECIPE CATEGORY
Lunch, Dinner, Entrée
SERVING SIZE
1
CUISINE
Indian, North Indian
PREPARATION / TECHNIQUES
Simmer, Temper, One-Pot Wonder
OCCASION / HOLIDAY
Weeknight Dinner, Comfort Food, Family Meal, Diwali
SPECIAL CONSIDERATION / DIETARY CONCERNS
Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, High Protein, Low Fat
DISH TYPE
Soup, Curry, Main Dish
INGREDIENTS
- 50g yellow lentils
- 1/4 onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp ghee
- Salt, to taste
FULL NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (PER SERVING)
- Calories:190
- Protein: 8g
- Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fibre: 6g
- Sodium: 150mg
PREPARATION OF TEMPERED LENTILS
- Cook the lentils: Rinse yellow lentils nicely and place them in a pan with 250 ml water. Boil it, then reduce the fire to cook till lentils become soft and mushy, taking about 15-20 minutes. Mid-cooking, add turmeric powder and salt.
- Prepare the tempering: Add 1/2 tsp ghee in a small pan. Place it to heat over a medium flame. Add cumin seeds. Let it crackle for nearly about 30 seconds or till it is fragrant.
- Add onions and garlic: Add chopped onions and sauté them till they turn golden brown. After that, add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds or till the raw smell of garlic disappears.
- Spice it up: Add red chilli powder to the pan and stir well for a few seconds. See that it does not burn.
- Combine the tempering with lentils: Throw in the prepared tempering over the cooked lentils and mix everything. Simmer for further 2-3 minutes and allow the flavours to soak into it. Add salt as per taste.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh coriander, if liked, and serve hot with steamed rice or rotis.
PREP TIME
10 minutes
COOKING TIME
25 minutes
TIPS
- Let’s cook these lentils in a pressure cooker to hasten the cooking process.
- It can also be topped with a splash of butter or more ghee at the time of serving to complete the flavour.
- Temper and sprinkle with a pinch of hing asafoetida to give it a tangy flavour and aroma.
VARIATIONS
- Add the green chillies to the tempering to add another spice.
- Chopped tomatoes can be added to sauté onions, which makes it taste quite mildly tangy.
- Or, for a vegan version, replace ghee with oil.
PREPPING AND STORAGE
- Fridge: Leftover Tempered lentils can be refrigerated for 3 days in an airtight container. Just reheat lightly before serving.
- Freezing: Tempered lentils can be frozen for close to a month. It has to be cooled completely before being transferred to a freezer-safe container. You can thaw overnight in the refrigerator, heating again on the stovetop before serving.
