Mark Bittman posted a column on legumes in the New York Times today, with a bunch of recipes.
This one caught my eye:
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon curry powder or garam masala
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup chopped cashews
- 1/2 cup dried French green (Le Puy) lentils, washed and picked over
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup yogurt for garnish
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley for garnish.
Sauteed the onions, then added the cashews along with some garlic and ginger, then cooked until toasty. Stirred in some tomato paste, lentils, garam masala, and enough water to cover the solids by about 1 inch. Brought it to a boil, then simmered for 20 to 25 minutes until the lentils were slightly soft. Added a dash of butter and 1/2 a cup of milk, then brought it to a full rolling boil to evaporate some of the milk's moisture and to condense the flavors. Salted to taste. Didn't garnish with yogurt or parsley as suggested.
It turned out to be a pretty standard lentil dish, nothing special. I was disappointed by the cashews - they didn't add much to the mix, because their texture was similar to the lentils and their flavor was either cooked out or overpowered by the garam masala.