Mark Bittman’s Lentil Curry with Potatoes

(I apologize for the B&W. I was playing with my iPhone camera and the colours didn’t come out great…)

Vancouver is predicted to have its coldest winter in years. So to prepare myself for the upcoming harsh winds and chilly nights, I’m starting to stock up my freezer with plenty of heart-warming freeze-ahead entrees.

The plan of making these is so that when I come home after being chilled into a human popsicle,  I can quickly reheat a bowl of something, curl up on the couch and just let the food do its magic and warm me up from head to toes.

To start off, I am made a big batch of curry.

Curry is one of those dishes that you should always make a big batch of. You serve some hot from the stove for a quick, hearty meal and store the rest in individual containers  in the fridge or freezer for later. Like soups and stews, the flavours only get better as it sits, thus making curry a top-notch homemade frozen meal option. Not to mention, it also reheats beautifully.

Normally I like to spend my time slowing dicing aromatics and vegetables for building a flavourful base for my curry. But today I was feeling quite lazy. Hence, I decided to make the simple Indian dal recipe from Mark Bittman’s How To Cook Everything because it requires only 5 ingredients, 3 steps in total and no more than 15 minutes hands-on time.

At first I thought the recipe would produce a mediocre pot of curry considering it lacks the extravagance of other curries which usually includes a spice blend of a gazillion herbs and spices and a ton of different components. But I was pleasantly surprised!

The five ingredients came together beautifully and produced a wonderfully rich, creamy and satisfying dish. Not only was it good enough for a simple, one-person weekend meal, but also flavourful enough to impress your dinner guests at the next dinner party.

It’s delicious, period. Trust me and try it.

Mark Bittman’s Lentil Curry with Potatoes

Makes 4 generous portions.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup red lentils
• 1/4 cup green split peas
• 1 can (400ml) coconut milk (substitute stock or water for a thinner, lighter finish)
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 large Yukon Gold potato, washed, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1 cup frozen spinach, rinsed and squeezed dry
• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
• salt and pepper
• yogurt and cilantro, for garnish

Directions:

• Rinse and pick over the lentils and split peas to remove debris.
• Combine the legumes, coconut milk and curry powder in a medium-sized pot that owns a lid. Turn on medium-high heat and let the mixture come to a boil.
• When it boils, add in the potato chunks and turn heat down to medium-low and let the mixture simmer, covered and undisturbed, for 10 minutes or so. Sit back, relax and enjoy the wonderful smell of curry spread through each corner of your kitchen.
• After around 10 minutes, the potatoes will start to soften and the red lentils should be tender and starting to melt into the sauce. Continue simmering with the lid covered,  occasionally stirring the mixture to prevent anything from sticking to the pot bottom; add in additional liquid if mixture seems to dry out too quickly. Give the green split peas and potatoes another 10 minutes or so.
• When the sauce is thickened, legumes tender and potatoes softened to desired texture, add in the frozen spinach. Add in a generous pinch of salt and pepper and adjust the seasoning to taste. You may want to add in extra curry powder (or cayenne powder) if you want an extra spicy kick.
• Turn the heat up to high to bring the mixture to a final boil. Remove from heat, stir in a handful of minced cilantro and top with a dollop of yogurt before serving. Have a bowl of hot Basmati rice or a piece of fresh Naan bread ready to soak up the thick, aromatic sauce. Enjoy!