Spiced Red Lentils

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This recipe pre-dates my 5 Ingredients philosophy.

Spiced Red Lentils

From Stonesoup

Adapted from my mate Paul van Reyk on his comprehensive Sri Lankan food site.

The secret to avoiding red lentils turning into mush as they cook is to treat them a little like a risotto and limit the amount of liquid you add. Although to be fair the first time I made this I completely overcooked the lentils into a big mash and they still tasted delicious.

Serves 6-8 as part of a shared meal
2T peanut or vegetable oil
1 large brown onion, peeled & chopped
3 large green chillies, deseeded & chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
300g (10 1/2oz) red lentils, rinsed
4 sprigs curry leaves, optional*
2t ground cumin
1/2 cinnamon stick
1t ground turmeric
1/2t ground ginger
1T fish sauce (optional – otherwise use more salt to season)

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan and add onion and chilli. Cover and cook stirring occasionally over a low heat until the onion is soft.

2. Add lentils and garlic and stir for a few minutes. Add spices and curry leaves if using and add 1/2C water.

3. Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook stirring occasionally and adding more water if it looks dry. You’ll probably use about 1 1/2C – 2C water all together. When the lentils are tender, season well with fish sauce, if using, and extra salt.