Your family and guests will think you labored for hours to produce this complexly flavored curry. You can tell them—or not—that Gingered Hurry Curry speeds from stove-top to table in less than 30 minutes.
Both children and adults love choosing and adding condiments to curry at table. You may want to use the condiments suggested below as a springboard and add others you like.
Don’t be afraid to play around with this recipe. Feel free to increase or decrease spices, add leftover vegetables—or even meat or chicken.
Though I didn’t add the “two-bit” preface to this lovely dish, yes, it costs less than 25 cents a serving.
3 tablespoons canola oil—don’t use olive oil
1 medium onion chopped fine
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons peeled, coarse-grated fresh ginger
2 carrots, peeled and diagonally sliced
1 large Idaho potato, peeled and cubed
½-2 cups vegetables of your choice (optional)
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
¼ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ½ cup split red or yellow lentils
6 cups hot vegetable or chicken broth
- In Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil.
- When oil is hot, add onion and celery. Sauté, stirring until vegetables begin to soften, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook, stirring for another 1-2 minutes.
- Push onions/celery mixture to sides of pot. Add 1 tablespoon oil to center of pot and tilt pot to coat bottom.
- When oil is hot, add carrots and potatoes, tossing to coat with oil.
- Sauté vegetables another 5-6 minutes, see photo.
- Add fresh ginger and all spices. Lower flame and cook vegetable and spice mixture over low heat for 5-6 minutes to allow spices to bloom, see photo, below.
- Just before vegetables are au point, rinse, drain and pick over lentils. Note: Don’t rinse lentils and let them sit around—they will stick together in a hardened mass. Rinse lentils just before adding to vegetables and spices.
- Add lentils and additional leftover vegetables or meat, if desired, to curried vegetables. Pour in boiling broth—I use Knorr’s Bouillon Cubes and boiling water—stirring to incorporate spices, see first photo, below.
- Cover pot and bring to simmer. Lower flame to keep mixture just at simmer and cook until lentils are soft, see second photo, below.
Serve with steamed basmati rice and condiments.
Suggested condiments:
- Sliced scallions
- Sieved hard-boiled egg
- Black or golden raisins
- Shredded coconut
- Chopped peanuts or cashews
- Chutney
Gingered Hurry Curry with Red Lentils and Vegetables serves 8 generously.
