Originally taken from Rainbow Plant Life, I’ve since made a few of my own modifications/reworded the recipe to fit my style of cooking.

Ingredients

• Shelf
  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 2 cups low-sodium veggie broth
  • 1 15oz can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 15oz can full-fat coconut milk
  • 3 tbsp creamy almond butter
• Fresh
  • 1-2 Jalapeños or serranos
  • 2 in piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• Spices
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp ground tumeric (or 1 tsp fresh minced)
  • 1 tsp salt (to taste)
• Rice, bulgur, quinoa, or farro for serving

Prep

• Bowl 1: Rinse lentils and put into a bowl
• Bowl 2: Combined cumin, coriander, chili powder, curry powder, garam masala, tumeric
• Bowl 3: Measure veggie broth
• Bowl 4: Mince garlic and ginger. Slice green pepper, combine into bowl.
• Bowl 5: Combine almond butter into coconut milk into bowl
• Bowl 6: Combine cilantro and lemon juice into bowl

Instructions

1. Prep bowls 1-4.
2. Rinse the lentils in cold water until the water runs clear.
3. Heat a large, deep skillet or large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the coconut oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the garlic, ginger, fresh turmeric (if using), and Serrano pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent garlic from burning.
4. Add the cumin, coriander, chili powder, curry powder, garam masala, salt, and black pepper to taste, and cook for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant, tossing frequently to prevent burning. If using ground turmeric instead of fresh turmeric, add the ground turmeric now, along the the rest of the spices.
5. Pour in the vegetable broth, and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add in the lentils and the crushed tomatoes and mix well.
6. Pick your path:
   • Stovetop: Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through and have mostly softened. If you find that the lentils are not quite soft after 25 minutes, add a few spoons more of broth or water and cook for another 5 minutes.
   • Electric pressure cooker: Cook for 2-4 minutes on high pressure depending on how broken down you want the lentils. Let the pressure release naturally.
7. In the meantime, prep bowls 6 and 7.
8. Remove the lid and stir in the coconut milk, almond butter, along with salt and pepper to taste Continue cooking on low heat, uncovered for 5 to 8 minutes, until the curry has thickened and is creamy. Finally, stir in the lemon juice and cilantro, and turn off the heat.
9. If you want your lentils to even creamier and more on the puréed side, use an immersion blender to lightly purée the curry.
10. Serve the curry with rice and/or flatbread. Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Variations

• Throw a cubed eggplant in there alongside the lentils/crushed tomatoes.