April 6, 2011

The "Beauty" of Lentils

I think everyone will agree that lentils will never win a beauty pageant — not even a legume beauty pageant. Especially lentils that have been smashed up a bit (on purpose) and resemble. . . well. . . something I’d rather not talk about right now.

These lentils get slopped on a plate over rice next to some cumin-roasted butternut squash as a distraction. (Is it working?) Daylight was fading fast and my only hope for a good photo was to put the plate on a placemat on the floor next to our patio door.
So I did.

But I forgot to do one important thing. . .

to close the patio door.

A few curious toes came over for a look.

Then a set of hands.

Then my garnish got rearranged.

But in the end, it doesn’t matter. You can’t make lentils look appetizing. I assure you, they were. They had a subtle Indian flair that went really well with the rice and squash.

Both kids cleaned their plates that night. They especially loved those little squash cubes, which they thought were sweet potatoes.

And neither of them said it looked gross. Score.

Spiced Lentils

Ingredients:

1 cup red or yellow lentils
1 pinch turmeric
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tsp cumin or cumin seeds
2 sliced garlic cloves
2-3 dried red chiles
3 T olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes, drained (or 1 cup of fresh chopped tomatoes)
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
generous dash of black pepper
3 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 T red wine vinegar

Directions:

Bring lentils, 4 cups water, turmeric and ginger to a boil; simmer 20-30 minutes. Whisk vigorously to break them up a bit. I had to use my immersion blender to do a decent job, but maybe I'm a weak whisker. Season with salt.

Meanwhile, cook cumin, garlic and chiles in a skillet with 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add to the cooked lentils. Stir in the tomatoes, cilantro, and vinegar and cook 1 minute. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Nat's Notes:
1. I only used 1 chile because I was afraid it would be too spicy. I could have put two in and been fine, I think. My little ones had no problems eating this up. They loved it.

adapted from Food Network Magazine March 2011

Indian, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

13 comments »

13 Responses to “The "Beauty" of Lentils”

1

Christina — April 6, 2011 @ 1:37 pm

I think I am lentils' biggest fan! I don't care how ugly they are :)

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2

Joanne — April 6, 2011 @ 5:12 pm

I have been on the BIGGEST lentil kick lately, substituting them for ground meat wherever I can! I love the spices in these…I'm up for Indian flair in my meals.

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3

Kate — April 6, 2011 @ 5:35 pm

Perfect! I have all the ingredients and free time. Your lentils are on the menu for my lunch! They look so good.

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4

Donna — April 6, 2011 @ 5:51 pm

You had me at those toes! What adorable children… I think you found a way to make lentils beautiful.

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5

Cara — April 7, 2011 @ 4:46 pm

I keep thinking about writing a post called "Only in a Food Blogger's Kitchen…" and one thing on my list is definitely about putting food on the floor! Glad I'm not the only one :)

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6

Darci — April 7, 2011 @ 6:16 pm

Score! I'll totally try this. Your recipes ALWAYS knock it out of the park. Thanks, doll!

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7

Nathan — April 7, 2011 @ 10:48 pm

Thanks for keeping your babys toes and fingers in frame.Made me smile.An cant wait to try this.

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8

Jolene - EverydayFoodie — April 7, 2011 @ 11:12 pm

That last photo is precious :-) Your girls are so cute!

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9

Healthy Mamma — April 7, 2011 @ 11:24 pm

Sad but true I suppose. Lentils are not beautiful, but they can make us beautiful if we eat them right? ;) This happens to me every time I try to take pics of my foods. Ah well, cute toes in the background and happy curious tummies are worth it!

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10

MegSmith @ Cooking.In.College — April 8, 2011 @ 1:30 am

This is wonderful :-) I just made a lentil dish and I had a difficult time taking a picture too! They really are not glamorous haha. Love the little toes in the pictures :-)

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11

Melissa @IWasBornToCook — April 11, 2011 @ 2:45 am

My husband just bought 3 bags of lentils today! Love the little toes :)

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12

cory — April 11, 2011 @ 4:14 am

Next time cook the cumin seeds in medium hot oil until they start to pop. then add the garlic and green chilies. Careful not to burn of course. My Punjab mates would be proud!

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13

Jena — June 15, 2012 @ 3:21 pm

I made this last night and it came out great! I added extra ginger and I also added curry powder! Thank you for the awesome recipe!

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