Back from a little break + lentil and coconut curry stew

We've been staying busy lately! Despite that, I've still been cooking, so do not fret, dear readers. I have some recipes up my sleeve and will be posting a few here very soon, including this great curry soup.

I got a chance to go on a solo trip down to Oregon to visit my family a little over a week ago, which was great. Great quality time. Then it was back to work, fun with friends, ultimate frisbee, tried a couple new restaurants, some "Goodwill hunting" (as Zack calls it) for some neat dishes (which the blog will definitely benefit from), and some great exploring around the Mukilteo area. Spring is coming, and life is good. And curry is always good. Which leads me to this wonderful recipe...

Lentil and coconut curry stew

As adapted from The Little Red House, who adapted their recipe from Scaling Back.

Serves 4-6, depending on serving size.

Ingredients:

1-2 tablespoons coconut oil 

2 cups lentils (I used a mixture of brown and red)

1 onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 large carrots, sliced

1 fresh jalapeño, seeded and diced

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

1 heaping tablespoon red curry paste

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup tomato paste

7 cups water

1 15-oz. can coconut milk

1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Juice of two limes

Fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving (optional)

Heat coconut oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, bell pepper, carrot, and jalapeño. Cook until veggies are almost tender. Add garlic, ginger, curry, spices, salt, and tomato paste; continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes. Add water, coconut milk, lentils, and chickpeas; bring to low boil and cook, uncovered, for about 25 minutes, until lentils are tender. Stir in lime juice, and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Serve with cilantro, lime wedges, and fresh, warm naan, if desired.

This soup was very delicious and comforting. I'm not sure if I got the curry paste and spice ratio completely right (the color of my soup was a little different from the pictures of The Little Red House's version). Furthermore, the recipe did not indicate how many ounces of coconut milk to use (they just said "one can," and we all know there are different sizes of cans out there), but I figured 15-oz. was probably standard? That being said, the curry stew was great, all the same. I'm betting that this would be lovely over some warm rice, although we skipped that and had some whole-wheat naan from Trader Joe's instead. 

This lentil and coconut curry has a little kick, a beautiful, complex flavor, and the lentils add such satisfying texture. It's a keeper, just may need to make some minor adjustments when it comes to ingredient amounts. If you're into curry, it's definitely worth a try. Enjoy.