Indian Spiced Lentil Bean Stew

This deliciously flavorful lentil bean stew is wealthy and creamy with deep flavors from North Indian spices! It’s a straightforward, 1-pan 30 minute white bean stew with break up lentils which you can serve by itself or with rice, flatbread, or naan. Naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free.

I needed to create a 1-pan lentil bean stew utilizing the flavour profiles from my rara hen and Angara hen recipes. This tremendous straightforward and hearty stovetop recipe is customized from my herb lentil and chickpea stew by incorporating these superb North Indian spices to that 1-pot format. 

It is a fast recipe upon getting all the spices collectively, and it’s also tremendous versatile. In the event you don’t have each spice, it can nonetheless end up completely scrumptious. Simply add extra garam masala or curry powder as an alternative. See recipe notes for alternate taste choices.

You can even use totally different beans or chickpeas on this stew. I exploit break up purple lentils, however brown lentils and petite yellow lentils work effectively, too, in addition to another quick-cooking lentils. In the event you’re utilizing entire brown lentils, the cooking time will almost double, so simply be conscious of that.

It is a tremendous soothing and scrumptious lentil bean stew. You may regulate the flavors to choice, like folding in some garam masala or curry powder in the long run to deepen the flavour. Principally, simply make it your individual.

Why You’ll Love Lentil Bean Stew

• 1-pan consolation meals dinner prepared in half-hour
• superb taste from North Indian spices!
• versatile: combine and match beans and spices to make it your individual
• naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free with straightforward coconut-free and oil-free choices

Components and Substitutions

• spices – For the spice combine, you want black pepper, Kashmiri chili powder, floor cardamom, floor cinnamon, and floor cloves. You can even add floor coriander, garam masala, and/or curry powder to the spice combine, if you need a deeper taste. For the stew, you’ll want a bay leaf, a black cardamom pod, and crushed fennel seeds.
• oil – To sauté. You may water or broth fry for oil-free, when you choose.
• onion – Provides umami to the lentil bean stew.
• ginger garlic paste – For extra umami and slightly warmth.
• tomato – Use contemporary chopped tomato or canned tomato puree so as to add colour, moisture, and much more umami.
• coconut milk – For creaminess. For a coconut-free model, use cashew milk or another thick non-dairy milk of selection.
• break up purple lentils – Or use different quick-cooking lentils. In the event you use brown lentils, the cooking time will virtually double, so simply plan accordingly.
• cooked white beans – Use your favourite white beans comparable to cannellini or northern. or use chickpeas.
• frozen spinach – Make sure that to thaw and drain the spinach. Or use chopped contemporary spinach
• toppings – Garnish with cilantro, lemon juice, and pepper flakes. You can even drizzle on some non-dairy cream or non-dairy yogurt, as effectively.

Make Lentil Bean Stew

In a small bowl, mix all the spice combine elements, and set this apart.

Warmth a big skillet over medium-high warmth and add the oil. As soon as the oil is scorching, add the onion and a beneficiant pinch of salt. Combine and prepare dinner till the onions flip translucent, about 3 minutes or so.

Combine within the bay leaf, black cardamom, and crushed fennel seeds. Cook dinner for one more 3 to 4 minutes, and add a splash of water to assist the onions prepare dinner evenly.

As soon as the onions are beginning to flip golden, add in about ¾ of your spice combine together with a splash of water to maintain the spices from burning. Cook dinner this for 10 to fifteen seconds, scale back the warmth to medium, then combine within the ginger-garlic paste, tomato, and one other splash of water. Cook dinner, till the tomatoes change into jammy, about 3 to five minutes, stirring incessantly to the tomatoes don’t scorch.

Make sure that to press the bigger items of tomato to assist them break down. When the combination begins to depart the edges of the pan and also you see a sheen of oil on the highest, combine within the coconut milk, water or inventory, and the remaining salt.

Add the lentils and white beans, and blend these in, as effectively. Partially cowl and prepare dinner for 12 to fifteen minutes, or till the lentils are cooked to choice. Verify in on the 12-minute mark, and in the event that they’re not completed but, cowl once more and hold simmering.

Open the lid and fold within the spinach and prepare dinner for 1 extra minute. Style and regulate the salt and taste, including extra salt, if wanted. Add a splash of lemon juice for tang, and add ¼ teaspoon or extra sugar to steadiness out the savoriness, if wanted.

Change off the warmth and sprinkle the remaining spice combine on high.

Garnish with cilantro, lemon juice, purple pepper flakes, and non-obligatory non-dairy cream or yogurt. 

What to Serve with Lentil Bean Stew

Serve this scorching, scrumptious stew with sourdough, garlic bread, naan, flatbread, rice, quinoa, baked potatoes, or cauliflower steaks.