Cilantro Lentils

  4.4 – 16 reviews  • Beans and Legumes
Red lentils cook down into a thick and comforting stew scented with ginger, turmeric and cayenne pepper. A nod to the South Asian staple dal, this recipe easily feeds a crowd on a budget.
Level: Easy
Total: 1 hr
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Level: Easy
Total: 1 hr
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  1. 1 1/2 cups dried red lentils, rinsed
  2. 1 large tomato, chopped
  3. 1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
  4. 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
  5. Large pinch of cayenne pepper
  6. Kosher salt
  7. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  8. 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  9. 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  10. Juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

  1. Combine the lentils, 6 cups water, the tomato, ginger, turmeric, cayenne and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, vigorously whisking occasionally, until the lentils are broken up and the mixture is thick, about 45 minutes. 
  2. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute; stir into the lentils along with the cilantro and lemon juice. Season with salt. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 214 calorie
Total Fat 5 grams
Saturated Fat 2.5 grams
Cholesterol 10 milligrams
Sodium 117 milligrams
Carbohydrates 30 grams
Dietary Fiber 7 grams
Protein 13 grams
Sugar 2 grams
Calories 214 calorie
Total Fat 5 grams
Saturated Fat 2.5 grams
Cholesterol 10 milligrams
Sodium 117 milligrams
Carbohydrates 30 grams
Dietary Fiber 7 grams
Protein 13 grams
Sugar 2 grams

Reviews

Elizabeth Lee
Super easy yet tasty recipe. I just dumped the garlic in with all the ingredients up front and added a little coconut oil at the end. The less dishes the better!!
Ashley Herman
I really WANTED to like it. And I DID like it … right up until the last step when the lemon juice went in. Was my lemon too big? Because I’m not getting “citrusy notes” … the lemon is completely overpowering everything else. I’ll probably try it again because, like I said, I was loving it until it turned into … I don’t know what … maybe soap? It’d be a great pantry meal because the ingredients are things I almost always always have in the house. And until I destroyed it at the very last step (seriously, I can’t even eat this), I really liked it. But, next time I’ll add WAY less lemon, and I’ll do so incrementally. 
Lisa Lynn
Brenda Carroll
Made this in my pressure cooker; modified recipe by reducing water to 4 cups per recommendations of previous reviewer, set time in pressure cooker (cooked on high pressure) to 25 minutes. Added sauteed garlic plus cilantro and lemon juice after cooking the lentils. Came out with delicious flavor. Thanks for this tasty healthy recipe!
Christopher Scott
It was extremely good, the taste exploded in my mouth. Very easy to make, I used much less water than the recipe said, around 4 cups maximum. 
Paula Dawson
This was wonderful!  Six cups of water does make it into a soup — use less if you want it thicker (although I think after a night in the fridge it will be thicker tomorrow).  Otherwise — I wouldn’t change a thing!
Damon Blanchard
Amazing. It smelled a little funky while cooking – I was nervous. But it all came together in the end. I’ve made this several times now and have experimented with the amounts of water to get it to the consistency I’m looking for. I think 5 cups is the right amount for me. 
James Boyle
These are so simple, flavorful and satisfying! Love this dish.
Kenneth Castro
I made this using 4.5 cups of water and it turned out terrific!! Garlicky, bright citrus notes and fresh cilantro combine to make a hearty dish that stands alone but also pairs with Mexican cuisine!
Johnathan Watson
This is excellent! I made some home made paneer, put it in, then served over rice. I must say I did not add the lemon juice, thought it would be too tart.

 

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