Indian Spiced Lentils

I went out to dinner last month with a few girlfriends and we had the most delicious Indian food and it inspired me to try to make some at home. I figured that this is probably not food my kiddos would venture to eat but I would keep the hot spices out of it and see if I could get them to try it. Served with Rice, they're basically the Indian equivalent to rice and beans and my kids love rice and beans so what could go wrong?  Well, the look of it for one. "What's that red stuff?" "What's that sauce?" My kids judge everything on how it looks. If it's unfamiliar they won't even try it, usually.

So this is what I did. I knew they would like it, the spice was mild and had the most comforting flavor so I knew if I could get them to try it I'd have them. I caught them while watching TV, their attention more focused on Ninjago than what I had in my hand. I took a small piece of Naan Bread and put a small spoonful of lentils on the bread. Without showing them what I had, I said, "I'll give you a dollar if you try this?" Of course my kids eyes and mouths opened at the mere mention of cold hard cash. (They're saving up for some NERF guns that they want so they are always looking for ways to earn more money) Before they got second thoughts, I quickly placed the bite sized lentils with Naan bread in their mouths. 
I was so surprised, as they didn't make any faces, no squinting eyes, no gagging, no spitting out...They chewed and swallowed and gave me a smile with a thumbs up! Yay! They liked it! I couldn't believe it! Of course, it has already back-fired on me because now anytime I want them to eat their dinner, no matter if it's something they like and are familiar with, they say, "If you give me a dollar I'll take a bite!" Ugh! Oh well, I still consider it a success that they tried something new!

I served these delicious Lentils with Tandoori Chicken, Basmati Rice and some Whole Wheat Naan Bread. I even had lentils with rice for breakfast the whole week after too! This is one of my new favorite dishes for sure!


Indian Spiced Lentils (recipe slightly adapted from The Diva Dish)
Serves 6

1 cup lentils (I used green lentils)
2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup white wine

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced

1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers, diced

1 small onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 15oz. can of tomato sauce

1/2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper(add more for heat)

2 tsp paprika

1 T ground coriander

1 tsp garam masala

2/3 cups vegetable broth

juice of one lemon

salt and pepper (to taste)

Rinse and sort lentils. Add 2 1/4 cups vegetable broth, wine and lentils to medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until tender, approximately 35 minutes. Makes about 2 1/2 cups of cooked lentils. Set aside.

Add onion and garlic into a skillet with a little oil and saute until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add sweet potato, bell peppers, tomato sauce, spices, 2/3 cup of vegetable broth, lemon juice, salt and pepper and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add cooked lentils and simmer an additional 20-25 minutes. Add additional salt to taste as needed. Serve.