Nevertheless! I have been experimenting with a variety of different recipes in the last few years and finally today came up with a recipe of my very own I thought was original and tasty enough to share. It's kind of an Autumn fusion dish of down home harvest-time ingredients with lentils and Indian spices. I love this recipe because it's incredibly healthy -- almost ZERO fat content -- and the apples give it a delightful mild sweetness with no sugar necessary. I've really come to love the sweeter, milder flavors of autumn -- sweet potatoes, carrots, apples, pumpkin -- and keep finding new ways to use them (pro tip: adding fresh pumpkin to a slow-cooked chili is TO DIE FOR). This is my favorite so far.
Here you are: my own original Autumn Roots & Fruits Curry.
Ingredients:
1 cup dried red lentils
3 cups water
2 medium-large carrots, chopped into small chunks
2 medium sweet 'taters, chopped into small chunks
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 apple, chopped into small chunks
1 teaspoon canola oil (you can use whatever oil you want, but I wouldn't waste olive oil as the flavor will be lost among the stronger spices)
1 red or yellow onion sliced finely
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 HEAPING Tablespoon Chana Masala spice mix (can find at any Indian grocer)
1/2 teaspoon garam masala (another Indian grocer-bought spice)
1 pinch Hing (or asofetida...you guessed it, check out your Indian grocer)
Process:
If you want to eat this the way I think it oughta be eaten, you should go ahead before you start and get some basmati rice cooking, or warm up some nice Indian bread like paratha or naan, because they go perfectly with this dish.
After that, rinse the lentils thoroughly several times, then put them into a large saucepan along with the water, carrots, 'taters, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Let simmer uncovered around 20-25 minutes, until lentils are soft but not mushy and vegetables are likewise. When this texture is achieved, add the chopped apples, cover, simmer for about two more minutes and then turn off the heat and let sit, covered, for the flavors to mingle while you finish up the other steps.
Meanwhile, after ~18 minutes, fire up a skillet over medium heat and warm up the oil. When oil is heated, add onions, garlic and ginger together. Sautee for 4-5 minutes until onion is soft but not quite carmelized. (While these are sauteeing, don't forget to add the apples to the simmering lentil/carrot/sweet potatoes!) Add the other dried spices (cumin, Chana Masala mix, garam masala and Hing) and stir constantly for about 30 seconds, until their aroma rises enticingly from the skillet. DO NOT BURN the spices! Underdone is better than over, so when you can smell them distinctly remove the skillet from the heat.
Add the contents of the skillet (in Indian cooking this is called a "tarka") to the cooked lentil/apple/veggie mix. Stir ingredients together. Serve immediately over rice or with naan or paratha or whatever other bread or rice you like.
Enjoy, and tell me how you like it!
**If any of you make this and feel like being adventurous, try adding a bit of a pecan crumble -- think sweet potato casserole -- to give it some crunch and a bit of presentation flair. If you want to try that out and tell me how it tastes, I'd certainly welcome your feedback :)
