It’s time for a trip down memory lane.
This was the first recipe I ever cooked – about 2.5 years ago when I first started experimenting in the kitchen.
I remember how unsure I was, how nervous I was that it wouldn’t be edible.
I also remember that it took me over an hour to make this, because I was SO slow at chopping veggies, and I went back to check the original recipe like 50 times in between steps. (It really only takes 30 minutes or so to make)
Oh and the old pictures on this post were… quite ugly 😛 As the husband put it when he looked at the old pictures on this post, he said, “Wow, that looks like mush.”
That was before I discovered the magic of my DSLR.
What a difference two years make. It doesn’t look like mush anymore!
And it definitely doesn’t taste like mush. I was so glad I finally re-created this recipe so I could re-take these photos to do it justice. It was also fun to re-create it to add a few more of my twists on the original recipe.
The original came from the Vegetarian Times Cookbook. I tried finding it on their website but looks like it’s no longer available. My modified recipe is below – I basically made some of the cooking steps easier and increased the spice level.
The Ingredients
- 1-1.5 cups pre-cooked beluga/black lentils or French green lentils (I like the kind from Trader Joe’s – picture below)
- 1 16 ounce can of chickpeas, rised and drained
- 1 red onion (diced)
- 4-5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1-1.5 Tbsp minced ginger
- 1 Tbsp canola or olive oil
- 2 Tbsp curry powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 4 tsp soy sauce
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 1 cup water
- 1 Fuji apple chopped
- 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
- Brown rice or Naan for serving
.
The Directions
Step 1: Chop the apples, onion, garlic, etc.
Step 2: In a large saucepan: Cook the onion and garlic in the oil, stirring, over medium-high heat for 3 min.
Step 3: Add the curry, ginger, cayenne and cook 1 minute. Add the lentils and chickpeas and cook, stirring, 1 min more.
Step 4: Stir in the soy sauce, raisins and water and cook 15 min, stirring often, until all the water is absorbed. If you like softer chickpeas, cook it for up to 30 minutes. Add the apple during last 3 minutes of cooking.
Step 5: Just before serving, sprinkle with cilantro
You can serve this with Naan, Brown Rice, Whole wheat tortillas, or just eat it straight. It’s also a fun filling for “Indian style burritos” or as a “sloppy joe.” Any way you serve it, it will always taste delicious! The husband loves this recipe, and despite all of my stressing two years ago, it turned out to be really tasty the first time around too!
Hope you enjoyed my trip down cooking-memory lane. For all of those new cooks out there, this recipe is for you.
Nutritional Info Per Serving: 276 Calories, 3.9g Fat, 338.7mg Sodium, 51.6g Carbs, 9.8g Fiber, 4.3g Sugar, 10.4g Protein
Ingredients
- 1-1.5 cups pre-cooked beluga/black lentils or French green lentils (I like the kind from Trader Joe’s – picture below)
- 1 16 ounce can of chickpeas, rised and drained
- 1 red onion (diced)
- 4-5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1-1.5 Tbsp minced ginger
- 1 Tbsp canola or olive oil
- 2 Tbsp curry powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 4 tsp soy sauce
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 1 cup water
- 1 Fuji apple chopped
- 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
- Brown rice or Naan for serving
Instructions
- Chop the apples, onion, garlic, etc.
- In a large saucepan: Cook the onion and garlic in the oil, stirring, over medium-high heat for 3 min.
- Add the curry, ginger, cayenne and cook 1 minute. Add the lentils and chickpeas and cook, stirring, 1 min more.
- Stir in the soy sauce, raisins and water and cook 15 min, stirring often, until all the water is absorbed. If you like softer chickpeas, cook it for up to 30 minutes. Add the apple during last 3 minutes of cooking.
- Just before serving, sprinkle with cilantro
Notes
Adapted from Vegetarian Times
TAGS: entrees, indian recipes, kid friendly recipes, quick meals, vegan, vegetarian
I’m looking for a lentil soup that I had at a restaurant near me. It did not have tomato in any form in the soup but it did have meat, some sort of small chunk sausage. I’ve looked everywhere for this but can’t find anything like it. Any ideas?
Martha
Hmm… well personally, I don’t have any recipes like that because I’m vegetarian 🙂 But – I did do a quick search on one of my favorite websites and it came up with a few options: http://search.myrecipes.com/search.html?Ntt=lentil%20and%20sausage
Check it out – let me know if that’s helpful / close to what you were looking for!
Mmm looks very yummy!
Love the combo you have going here! Apples, curry, and lentils…delicious!
Thanks Parita!! I love the sweet and spicy flavors in this dish too! 🙂
Very tempting recipe. I wanted to try apple curry for a very long time.
Thanks! Let me know how you like it! 🙂
First time here and it is nice to meet you. This looks very tasty and a lovely combination of flavors with lentils, garbanzos and apples. I really enjoyed your photos too.
Thank you so much Suzi!! It’s so nice to meet you too! 🙂
Perfect timing — just bought some lentils without knowing what I was going to do with them. This looks like the perfect recipe to use them in! Thanks!
Awesome!! 🙂 I’m sure you will love this recipe!
Made this the same day it was posted. Delicious! Great use of the TJ’s lentils.
Yay!! So glad you liked it! 🙂
I made this tonight and both my husband and I enjoyed it. I didn’t realize I had run out of cilantro so I skipped it, but will be sure to add it next time. I served it with toasted oatbran pita wedges and a dollop of fat free greek yogurt (to cut the spice). Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Awesome!! I’m so glad you liked it – and serving it with pita + fat free greek yogurt sounds absolutely perfect! 🙂
I tried this out two days ago and it was super yummy. Love the twist that apple brought to the dish. Personally I have never really mixed fruits in my curries but this was a revelation. Thanks
Hi Saina! I’m so glad you liked this recipe! The apples are one of my favorite parts of this dish — I agree they just add something special!
I just made this and it tasted amazing. I didn’t have black lentils so just used brown ones. It is so yummmyyyyy. Both me and my husband loved it. I was just telling him that I’m so happy that I’ve discovered your website. We’ve never been healthy eaters but your website is so inspiring because they are yummy at the same time!!
Thanks a lot.
I’ve tried your baked falafels +avocado chocolate mouse+ this recipe. They were all soooooo goood.
I’m so thankful 🙂
Hope you add more and more recipes, specially for deserts 🙂
Bless you
Woohooo!! So happy to hear that Zara! And yes I will be continuing to add more and more recipes – I recently made some delicious brownies that I can’t wait to share! Thanks again for letting me know how these recipes are turning out for you!