Lentil & Root Vegetable Curry

This lentil & root veggie curry may not be the prettiest to look at (and photographed by candlelight and fluorescents doesn’t help, but give me a break, it was cottage time), but it sure is DIVINE.

I made it as a vegetarian response to all the meaty/fishy things the boys were eating up at the cottage… lentils for me with all the root veggies we somehow had accumulated in our pantry.  But the boys ended up loving it too, and we all had it for dinner along with brown rice and steamed kale to counter the too much cheese phenomenon that comes along with cottaging.

We had a few leftovers after our curry dinner, and so the lentil curry ended up making its way into a batch of Chickpea & Potato Curry (Channa & Aloo – Trini Style), and served with our Roti dinner.  Oh, the two curries together were a completely symbiotic affair.  The whole was definitely infinitely better (and tastier!) than the sum of its parts.

I will be making this lentil & root veggie curry over and over again as an earthy, filling, and energizing staple around here.  Delicious curried goodness, here I come.

Lentil & Root Vegetable Curry
Serves 6-8 as a main course

• 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil or coconut oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2.5 cm (1″) nub of ginger, peeled & grated or microplaned
• 1 Tbsp. ground garam masala
• 1 Tbsp. curry powder
• 1 Tbsp. hot red chili flakes
• 2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed & with the skins still on, diced
• 4 carrots, peeled & roughly chopped
• 2 parsnips, peeled & roughly chopped
• 1 c. green lentils (green, brown, or Puy lentils work well here as they hold their shape — you won’t be so lucky with red lentils)
• 2-4 c. water

In a large pot with a heavy bottom, heat oil over low heat.  Add onion, garlic, and ginger, and cook at low heat to sweat the onions until they are translucent, about 5 minutes.  Once the onions have softened, add the garam masala, curry powder, and chili flakes, and stir to coat the onions well with the spices.

Add the sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and lentils and pour in enough water to cover the veggies.  Stir to mix everything well, and turn the heat to medium-high to bring the pot to the boil.  Turn the heat down to medium-low, and let the curry simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until all of the veggies and lentils are softened and the mixture has gone from a watery broth-like texture to a thick curry consistency.

Serve with brown rice, steamed kale, and lots of hot sauce at the table.  Scotch bonnet hot sauce or spicy carrot pickle is especially good here.  The curry is also great in a roti (Trinidadian wrap), with chapati or naan (Indian flatbreads), or even in a tortilla.  Eat hot and Enjoy!

Submitted to Amy’s Slightly Indulgent Tuesday — you must check out her blog, Simply Sugar & Gluten Free, for tons of healthy & delicious ideas!