The whole idea for this dish came about when my wife’s grandparents came to visit and gave us about 8 large tomatoes from their garden. We knew we needed a way to cook a LOT of tomatoes at once, and so sauce came to the forefront of our imagination. We weren’t in the mood for Pasta though, so instead of building an Italian type sauce, we went with Indian flavours! With that in mind, we pulled some lentils and tomato paste out of the pantry, and we were in business!
We served our lentils over rice, and we’d recommend doing that too (especially if you have basmati). While we didn’t make it this time, this meal would have paired very nicely with side dishes like our Spinach and Garlic Naan or Vegetable Samosas!
If you’re looking for a little different take on this dish that doesn’t rely on yogurt, check out our Lentils in Tomato Cashew Curry Sauce instead!
Time: 1 Hour
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Cup Lentils
- 1 Sweet Onion
- 2 Cups Water
- 4 Medium (juicy) tomatoes
- 2-3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 3 Tablespoons Butter
- 1/3 Cup Plain Whole Fat Yogurt
- 1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
- SPICES
- Ground Cumin
- Ground Cloves
- Turmeric
- Dried Cilantro
- Mustard Seed
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Garlic Powder
Method:
- Dice your onion.
- Melt some butter in a large pan, and when it’s nice and hot, add your onion and spices. Sautee for 5 minutes until the aromatics start to really release, and your onion softens.
- As your onion cooks, rinse and chop your tomatoes.
- After the 5 minute cook, pour your lentils into the pan, and stir to combine. Then, add your water, tomato paste, and chopped tomatoes to the pan, and give it all a good stir to fully combine.
- Cover, and let simmer for about 45 minutes.
- When your lentils are soft and plump, and your sauce has thickened, stir in another tablespoon of butter and your yogurt to add some final flavours and body to your stew.
- Let simmer on low for a few more minutes.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
