Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or canola or olive oil)
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 3 large cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups red lentils (washed )
- 1 14-ounce can light coconut milk
- 1 large head spinach (stems removed - to yield 4 cups packed spinach leaves)
- 1/2 cup frozen peas (thawed to room temperature )
- juice of 1 small lime
- 2 cups hot, cooked brown rice
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
Red Curry Lentils and Spinach
Lisa Turner | Delicious Living- Serves: 4 people
- Calories per serving: 637
This flavorful and supercheap dish pairs fast-cooking red lentils with red curry paste, a versatile and long-lasting condiment, to add flavor in little cooking time. A fresh head of spinach is a thrifty choice; remove tough stems and slice leaves into shreds for visual appeal, or just chop small. Cost per serving: $4.
Vegan, Quick
Directions
- Heat oil in a medium saucepan and sauté onion until tender and golden, 5–7 minutes. Stir in ginger, garlic, and curry paste; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
- Stir in cardamom and broth, scraping up any browned bits from pan bottom. Bring to a boil; add lentils and coconut milk. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are just tender but still firm.
- While lentils are cooking, stack spinach leaves and thinly slice crosswise into shreds. (Or just roughly chop.) When lentils are tender, stir in spinach leaves and peas; cook for 2 minutes, until peas are hot and spinach is wilted. Add lime juice to taste, and season with salt and pepper. Serve over hot rice, garnished with cilantro.
PER SERVING: 637 cal, 11g fat (3g mono, 2g poly, 6g sat), 0mg chol, 31g protein, 95g carb, 36g fiber, 291mg sodium.
