Who here eats enough fiber?

*only Sarah’s in-laws raise their hands*

That’s what I thought. Well, if you want some fiber and something rich and spicy, eat this. I used this recipe as a guideline and for the cooking method, which turned out to be stellar. Below are my actual steps.

1 1/2 c dry lentils (I used brown, the posted link suggests black caviar lentils)
1 T vegetable oil
1/4 t hing or asafoetida powder
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, finely diced or cut into matchsticks
2 green Thai chilies, chopped (optional – remove seeds for less heat)
1 1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t curry powder
1/2 t salt
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 small can tomato sauce (6 oz. or 200 g)
1 c vegetable broth
2 T butter

In a deep pot, cover lentils with water by 2 inches, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for 10 minutes. While lentils are cooking, heat oil in a small skillet to medium. Add hing to oil and fry, stirring for one minute, then add onion, garlic, ginger and chili to oil, stirring frequently. When onion just becomes translucent, add cayenne pepper, curry powder, salt and pepper to onion mixture and stir until well distributed. Cook for one more minute, then remove from heat and set aside.

Drain lentils and return to pot. Add cooked onion mixture, tomato sauce, vegetable broth and butter. Bring lentils to a simmer and cook for an hour over low heat until thick and creamy, adding broth as needed. To improve texture, mash lentils occasionally with the back of a spatula while cooking. If desired, stir in a tablespoon or two of cream after cooking. Serve with naan, rice or alone.

recipe source: Bend It Like Beckham

1/4 C vegetable oil
1 large onion, peeled and cut into small peices
Large bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro), separated into stalks and leaves and roughly chopped
Small green chilies, chopped into small pieces (or one teaspoon chili powder)
1 large cauliflower, leaves removed and cut evenly into eighths
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into even pieces
1 can of diced tomatoes
Fresh ginger, peeled and grated
Fresh garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons tumeric
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons garam masala

Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Add the chopped onion and on etablespoon of cumin seeds to the oil. Stir together and cook until onions become creamy, golden, and translucent. Add chopped coriander stalks, two teaspoons of turmeric, and one teaspoon of salt. Add chopped chilis (according to taste). Stir tomatoes into onion mixture.
Add ginger and garlic; mix thoroughly. Add potatoes and cauliflower to the sauce plus a few tablespoons of water (ensuring that the mixture
doesn’t stick to the saucepan). Ensure that the potatoes and cauliflower are coated with the curry sauce. Cover and allow to simmer for twenty minutes (or until potatoes are cooked). Add two teaspoons of Garam Masala and stir. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on top of the curry. Turn off the heat, cover, and leave for as long as possible before serving.

8 bone-in chicken breast halves, skinless
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs olive oil
2 onions, peeled and quartered
1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger root
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 Tbs hot (Madras) curry powder
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce (443 ml)
1 (10 oz.) can coconut milk (295 ml)
4 whole cloves
4 pods cardamom
1 cinnamon stick
salt to taste

1. Rinse chicken and pat dry; season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, then saute chicken until browned. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
2. Sauté onions in skillet until translucent; add ginger and garlic and sauté until fragrant, then stir in curry powder.
3. Return chicken to skillet and add tomato sauce, cocnut milk, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick. Season with salt to taste and stir all together.
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer until chicken is tender and cooked through (no longer pink inside), about 20 to 25 minutes.