Ingredients:
FOR LENTILS
1 cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
3 ½ cups water
4 Tbsp butter or olive oil, plus more if needed
1 onion, diced
6-8 garlic cloves, minced (2 heaping Tbsp)
1-2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp mustard
1 large bunch kale, de-stemmed and diced
¼ tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
FOR CUCUMBER RAITA
1 cucumber, grated (heaping ½ cup)
½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 garlic clove, minced or paste
½ lemon zested and juiced (1 tsp zest and 1 Tbsp juice), starting with 1 tsp juice, plus more to taste
1 cup plain yogurt
¼ cup cilantro, minced
¼ cup mint, minced
¼ tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
Equipment:
- Pot with lid
- Small skillet with lid
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Bowls
- Box grater
- Strainer
- Wooden spatula or spoon
- Zester
- Juicer
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Pot holders, dishcloth
Directions:
- Gather all the ingredients and equipment. Wash the produce and prepare it as detailed in the ingredients list.
- For lentils, add them to a medium-sized pot with 1 tsp salt and 3 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the lentils are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover until ready to continue.
- While the lentils cook, heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter, onion and ½ tsp salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 20 minutes.
- Move the onions to the side to create a small space at the bottom of the pot. There should be a puddle of butter there, but if the pan looks dry, add a little more butter to bloom the spices. Stir the garlic, ginger, ground coriander, and cumin into the butter puddle for about 60 seconds, then mix them with the onions along with the mustard and black pepper.
- Carefully pour this aromatic mixture into the pot of cooked lentils and give it a good stir to bring all those flavors together.
- Fold the kale into the lentils. Return to medium heat and simmer until the kale is tender, about 8 minutes. Taste, adjust and enjoy!
- Serve the lentils and kale garnished with the Cucumber Raita.
- For Cucumber Raita, place the cucumber in a strainer, sprinkle with salt, and toss together. Set the strainer over a bowl to drain for about 5 minutes. This helps remove excess water, keeping your sauce creamy.
- In another bowl, while the cucumber drains, combine the garlic with 1 tsp of lemon juice. Let it stand for a few minutes to macerate, which removes the sharpness of raw garlic and makes a smoother flavor.
- Gently squeeze out any remaining liquid from the cucumbers, then add them to the bowl with the garlic and lemon juice. Stir in the lemon zest, yogurt, cilantro, mint and black pepper. Taste, adjust and enjoy!