Indian Spiced Lentils
Indian Spiced Lentils are delicious and easy to make, and if you like Indian food you’ll love this for a vegan lentil side dish!
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I remember the first time I ever tasted lentils, in a soup that was served at a Mexican restaurant where I had my first job. Certainly my mother never cooked them so I have no idea how I became such a lentil fan, but if a recipe contains lentils, it’s pretty much a sure thing I’ll like it.
This favorite recipe for Indian Spiced Lentils is a lentil side dish that I first posted a few years ago as an after-thought added to another recipe. I’ve made this many times since then, and this dish is so tasty and easy-to-make that I finally decided it deserves a post of its own. This week I made it again and took some photos, and I’m officially adding it to recipe favorites on the blog.
What ingredients do you need?
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- onion
- Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
- Sweet Curry Powder (affiliate link)
- Hot Curry Powder (affiliate link) (see notes)
- dried brown lentils
- vegetable broth
- water
- chopped parsley
- salt/pepper to taste
What gives these lentils Indian flavors?
I use onions, garlic, sweet curry powder, and hot curry powder to add Indian flavors to this tasty lentil side dish.
Are lentils high in carbs?
Lentils do have some carbs but they are also high in fiber so this Indian lentil dish only has 10 net carbs for a side dish serving.
How to Make Indian Spiced Lentils:
(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)
- I’ve become fond of these small lentils from the middle eastern grocery store for dishes where I want the lentils to keep their shape, so that’s what I used, but use plain brown lentils if that’s what you have.
- Heat the oil in a heavy pan and cook the onions until they’re starting to get some color, about five minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and cook 1-2 minutes more. Add the curry powder and cook with the onions and garlic for about 2 minutes more.
- Then add the lentils and vegetable stock, bring to a simmer, cover pan, and cook until lentils are tender and liquid is absorbed, about 30-40 minutes.
- Start checking after about 30 minutes; it’s done when lentils are tender and the liquid is absorbed.
- (If you don’t have your stove at a low enough simmer, you may need to add a little more liquid before the lentils are tender. The cooking time of lentils will depend on how old they are; I cooked the lentils in these photos about 38 minutes and then let them sit for 5 minutes with the lid on.)
- When lentils are done, chop up a generous amount of parsley. (I used curly parsley, but I think cilantro would also be good in this.)
- When lentils are soft but still slightly chewy, stir in parley, season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper, and serve hot.
- This is a perfect dish to make ahead, freeze in individual portions, and take for a grab-and-go lunch for work.
More Tasty Recipes for Lentils:
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Indian Spiced Lentils
Indian Spiced Lentils are delicious and easy to make and this recipe is also vegan if you care about plant-based eating!
Ingredients
- 4 tsp. olive oil
- 1 onion, diced in 1/4 inch pieces
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 tsp. sweet curry powder
- 1 tsp. hot curry powder (see notes)
- 1 cup dried brown lentils, rinsed
- one 14.5 oz can vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup water, plus more as needed
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley (or less)
- salt/pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in medium sized heavy pan, add onions, and saute 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and saute 1-2 minutes. Add curry powder to onion-garlic mixture and saute about 2 minutes more.
- Add lentils and broth plus 1/4 cup water, bring to a low simmer, then cover pan and cook until lentils are tender and liquid is absorbed.
- Cooking time will depend on how old the lentils are, but after 30 minutes I would start to check every few minutes. You may need to add a little water towards the end if your stove doesn’t keep the simmer low enough. (I cooked the lentils in the photos for 38 minutes and then let them sit about 5 minutes with the lid on.)
- When lentils are done (soft but still slightly chewy), remove from heat, and let sit covered for 5 minutes while you chop the parsley.
- Stir in parsley, season with salt and pepper and serve hot.
Notes
Use more or less hot curry, depending on how spicy you like it. You can also use your favorite curry powder blend instead of the sweet and hot curry powder.
This recipe was adapted from The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 123Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 486mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 5gSugar: 3gProtein: 5g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Lentils are a great low-glycemic legume, and this recipe for Indian Spiced Lentils is suitable for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. Lentils are somewhat high in carbs for a low-carb diet, but if you check the nutritional information you might be surprised.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Check out Side Dishes to find more recipes like this one! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest or on Facebook to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
40 Comments on “Indian Spiced Lentils”
Brenda, potato would taste good (but not good for South Beach Dieters!) I'm sure there are endless variations.
Lisa L., I'm so glad you're finding the blog to be helpful. I promise you, the diet will work if you stick with it. Good luck with that and with the new job.
Hi Kalyn,
Thank you so much for taking the time to publish this blog. I appreciate all of your beautiful pictures and crystal clear directions. I am new to your blog– I found it last night when I Googled South Beach Diet recipes. Your recipes makes the diet seem so approachable. I was laid off from a great job 16 months ago. I finally found a new job with the Department of Defense and I can't fit in any of my gorgeous suits (nor can I afford to buy new clothes in the next size up)! So, I am doing South Beach and I hope to make it a lifestyle change. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!
I make a dish like this almost weekly, but I throw in a potato and something spicy. Sometimes I serve it with rice and sometimes we just eat it. Delicious!
Tanvi, I do like the idea of eating this with rice. Planning to try it.
That looks perfect and the way Indian lentils are made.Good Job done!
We eat these lentils with rice more often than as a soup.Makes a wholesome meal.
Nupur, I haven't tried sprouting them, but I'm guessing I'd like it!
That looks so good! Lentils are wonderful- how can something so cheap be tasty AND good for you? Have you ever tried sprouting them?
Dara, we must have been commenting at the same time! I do love the curry flavor in this.
Kulsum, there are black lentils too, but these are definitely brown.
YUM! Its almost like a salad. And I have a post on my blog, where I actually called them Black Lentils. Oouch! now I guess I was wrong, will have to change it to brown. We make it more soup to go with rice or bread and something like this to go on side with a vegetable curry.
Carol, it's definitely a winner with me. So easy and tasty.
Mahek, I know this isn't an authentic Indian dish, but it's definitely good. I love your idea of combining this with rice; I will definitely try that!
This is a wonderful vegetarian meal. Curry is such a comforting flavor for me and I can imagine it makes these lentils really come alive.
hi
Kalyn
lovely to see an Indian recipe on Your blog , I feel good
You can try this thing… I think I will too make a post on my blog..
You can add these lentils you have made to rice and cook them together or you can make rice and then stir in the lentils and garnish with coriander leaves.. It makes a great rice dish….
I love lentils and I sure didn't grow up eating them either. This looks like a winner with the curry and parsley!
Simona, glad you like it. This really does freeze perfectly.
I love lentils! I bookmarked this recipe: it is indeed quick to make, and I like you idea of freezing it in individual portions.
Jeanette, thank you! I do always have that in mind when I'm picking recipes.
TW, I love that lentil dish with rice and caramelized onions (Mujadarra). For years I used to order it at a little place in Salt Lake which sadly went out of business.
I feel the same about lentils. I think my first experience was a Frugal Gourmet recipe of lentils, rice and caramelized onions, and I was hooked. I've had to practice to make sure they are cooked firm. The curry seasoning sounds wonderful here.
Thanks for another tasty recipe Kaylyn. I love dals, and your recipe is an easy way to make dals without having all the Indian spices on hand. I am a big fan of your blog, you make cooking so approachable.
Thanks Lydia. This is such a simple dish, but perfect as a side with so many things.
Like you, I've seldom met a lentil dish I didn't love. Curry and lentils are such a surprisingly good combination. I love the vibrant color the parsley brings to this dish, too.