Flavourful, nutritious, budget-friendly, quick-and-easy! There are so many reasons to make these lentils! The secret to this dish lies in the magic of garlic and spices sizzled in oil or ghee. It only takes a drizzle of tempered oil and a sprinkle of fried onions to elevate this easy lentil dish.
At both of our childhood homes, brown lentils are eaten as a soup. There are many things we love about the lentil soup; the comfort of a big bowl of hot soup and the hints of thyme and garlic. However, we both prefer our lentils non-mushy, with the grains soft but still intact. Hence we made the lentils we love to eat! Since we are inspired by the lentil soup of our childhood, we had to add in some carrots; all lentil soups had carrots in them. However, feel free to swap out carrots for any veggies you have on hand.
This lentil dish requires mostly pantry essentials for its ingredients and can easily be customised to include the vegetables and herbs you have on hand. Cook the lentils as per the recipe and experiment with the tempered oil to create new combinations!
QUESTIONS YOU MANY HAVE ABOUT EASY LENTIL DISH
Can I used canned, cooked lentils?
Yes, you can! Whilst we prefer dry lentils (they are more economical and we can cook them to our liking), you can simply skip the lentil cooking part. Warm the lentils and add in the tempered oil for a dish that comes together in a flash.
Easy Lentil Dish
Ingredients
For the lentils
- 200 g (about 1 cup) dried lentils
- 350 mls water
- ยฝ tsp salt
- 2 small carrots, diced
For the tempered oil
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 small cloves garlic
- 10-12 curry leaves
- 2 sprigs thyme
- pinch asafoetida (optional)
- ยผ tsp chilli oil (optional)
For the fried onions
- 2 tbsp olive/ vegetable oil
- ยฝ onion, sliced
Instructions
For the fried onions
- In a small pan, heat the olive oil on medium heat.
- Add the thinly sliced onions on medium heat until golden and crispy. This may 8 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the sliced onion. Drain on a kitchen paper and reserve.
For the lentils
- In the meantime, add the lentils, water and salt to a pot. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
- Allow the lentils to simmer on medium heat for 14-18 minutes. Add in the diced carrots a few minutes before turning off the heat so that they cook and soften but still retain some bite.
- If you prefer a more soupy lentil, or well-cooked lentil, add more water and allow the lentils to cook further.
For the tempered oil
- To a small pan, heat the vegetable oil on medium heat.
- Add in the cumin and curry leaves and thyme and allow to sizzle and sputter.
- Add the garlic, asafoetida and chilli flakes, if using and a pinch of salt. Stir for 30 seconds and turn off the heat.
- Stir the tempered oil in the lentils.
- Sprinkle the final dish with the fried onions and enjoy with a bowl of rice.