This is a creamy curry enriched with coconut, cashew butter and ghee - clarified butter. The combination of proteins from the paneer cheese, lentils and nuts make this a complete meal ready to satisfy even the hungriest.
1 cup small Beluga or Puy lentils
3 Tbsp ghee (or oil of your choice)
1 sweet onion, finely diced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained - liquid reserved
1-2 Tbsp favorite Madras Curry powder (I used my home-made mix), to taste
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 can rich coconut milk (I used Trader Joe’s coconut cream)
2 Tbsp cashew (or peanut or among) butter
7 oz frozen, fried panner cubes (I used Nanak brand), thawed
Bring a medium pot of about 2 quarts water to a boil. Salt generously and add the lentils. Stir and simmer for about 30-45 minutes, until the lentils are only just soft.
Stir and check the tenderness of the lentils often after 30 minutes. You do not want to overcook the lentils - they should retain their physical integrity.
While the lentils are cooking, sauté the onion with the ghee in a medium pot. After 10 minutes, add the cumin and fennel seeds and continue cooking another 2-3 minutes.
Add the drained tomatoes and raise the heat. Sauté the tomato mixture another 8-10 minutes, adding a dash of canola oil if necessary to allow the tomatoes to fry and dry out a bit - not boil in their water juices. This develops their flavor the most.
After the tomatoes have darkened and cooked down, add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, and cook another 2-3 minutes.
Add the curry powder and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the reserved tomato liquid and cook it for about 5 minutes until the mixture darkens and thickens almost to a tomato paste consistency.
Once the lentils are just cooked through, drain them well.
Add the lentils and the paneer to the tomato-coconut mixture.
Stir well and simmer on the lowest heat for about 20-30 minutes to meld flavors, stirring every so often. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with raita yogurt sauce, a rice pilau and naan bread. Serves 4-6.
Cook’s Note: I used beluga lentils because they hold their shape so well when cooked. Puy lentils work very well also, but standard flat green lentils can break down, depending on the variety, and you could get a pasty, but tasty mess.
This recipe also works very well with ground lamb instead of lentils. Just brown up the lamb first, before adding to the coconut curry mixture, to replace the lentils.
1 cup small Beluga or Puy lentils
3 Tbsp ghee (or oil of your choice)
1 sweet onion, finely diced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained - liquid reserved
1-2 Tbsp favorite Madras Curry powder (I used my home-made mix), to taste
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 can rich coconut milk (I used Trader Joe’s coconut cream)
2 Tbsp cashew (or peanut or among) butter
7 oz frozen, fried panner cubes (I used Nanak brand), thawed
Bring a medium pot of about 2 quarts water to a boil. Salt generously and add the lentils. Stir and simmer for about 30-45 minutes, until the lentils are only just soft.
While the lentils are cooking, sauté the onion with the ghee in a medium pot. After 10 minutes, add the cumin and fennel seeds and continue cooking another 2-3 minutes.
Now add the coconut milk and the cashew (or peanut) butter to the tomatoes and stir well.
Once the lentils are just cooked through, drain them well.
Serve with raita yogurt sauce, a rice pilau and naan bread. Serves 4-6.
Cook’s Note: I used beluga lentils because they hold their shape so well when cooked. Puy lentils work very well also, but standard flat green lentils can break down, depending on the variety, and you could get a pasty, but tasty mess.
This recipe also works very well with ground lamb instead of lentils. Just brown up the lamb first, before adding to the coconut curry mixture, to replace the lentils.
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