Lentil and Spinach Curry--AIP or not!

This is a delicious, inexpensive dish that goes a long way!  Add chicken, shrimp, lamb or nothing at all--we've done it both ways, and love it.

It's also a great way to get lots of vegetables...last time I made it I added cauliflower and zucchini...this time, leftover broccoli, green onions and carrots in addition to the spinach, onions, and garlic that are part of the original recipe.

And yes I DID eat more than that, it was just so good I forgot to take a picture before tucking into it!

1 15 oz. can of lentils or 1 cup (or more) of lentils, soaked in water to cover (soak 2 to 4 hours)
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, sliced
butter, ghee, or oil to saute' them
2 C. frozen chopped spinach or 1 pkg.
1 C. coconut milk
1 C. vegetable broth or soup stock
1 t. salt
1 t. curry powder or to taste (I mostly used AIP nightshade free curry powder this time, in this post: http://starvingartistscook.blogspot.com/2018/12/aip-curry-powder.html)
Black pepper to taste
1/2 t. dried thyme, which I forgot...

Whatever other vegetables you want to throw in...

Saute' onions and garlic till translucent--I did the carrots then, too.  Add coconut milk and broth, then other ingredients. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally.  If you need more liquid, add it. 

Serve with naan, rice, cauliflower rice, quinoa, whatever you like.

SO GOOD.  And enough leftovers for another couple of meals...

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Legumes get a bad rap for a number of reasons...the lectins in them can cause gut permeability (isn't that appetizing?!) and other problems (Beano, anyone?).  But for whatever reason, lentils are the least likely of this family to give you problems, and they have a host of nutrients!  The Paleo Mom gave them a thumbs up recently, so I jumped on it for an occasional meal.

If you use canned lentils or soak them first, you reduce the lectins even further, and so I do.

M'jeddrah--or Jacob's Mess of Pottage--or Esau's Guile!

I remembered this delicious dish from my farm years, 40 years ago, but lentils didn't fit my current and longtime Paleo/Primal lifestyle--lectins can be bad news.  But recently Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, author of The Paleo Approach, suggested they may be worth reconsidering, for several reasons.

Okay!  Instant reconsideration for me, because I've been jonesing for M'jeddrah for a couple of years!  I found my old recipe again, thanks to a friend, along with several spicier ones from Middle Eastern sites.  We were ON.

(The Middle Eastern recipes call for Avieh, which is a Persian word that simply means "spices," but it refers to a lovely mixture of a variety of spices.  I'm just listing them separately--and I didn't have cardamom but didn't seem to miss it.)

Served with a green salad on top, as well as crisp-fried onions. Half and half, here...

It's a bit beige in the pan, but oh the aroma!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of lentils, whatever color you prefer--mine were regular brown ones
1 cup of rice (I usually use brown rice, and may cut the amount next time--we normally avoid grains)
1 large onion and 2-4 cloves of garlic, sliced
2-3 T. olive oil
3 cups of water
1 t. salt
black pepper to taste

Ground spices (my own version of Avieh):

1 t. Cumin
2 t. Coriander
1 t. Cinnamon
1/2 t. Cardamom
1/2 t. Ginger

1/2 t. Turmeric
1/4 t. Cloves

(Many Avieh recipes often call for dried rose petals, but I'm not a fan and neither is Joseph.  Roses are for admiring and sniffing, at our house!)

Salad greens, whatever you prefer--with tomato, cucumber, radishes, whatever...

Salad Dressing:
   Lemon
   Olive Oil
   Salt and pepper

Or a tart dressing you prefer...we liked Primal Kitchens Green Goddess the first night because I didn't have any lemons!


INSTRUCTIONS:

Soak lentils in water at least 4 hours before cooking.  Pour off soaking water--that removes many of the lectins as well as speeding your cooking time.  (Some people even sprout them for 24 hours or so to increase digestibility and nutritional value, and I may try that next time.)

Gently saute' chopped onions and garlic in olive oil until transparent.

Remove from pan (I used a heavy, deep enameled cast iron chicken fryer), and put the rice in.  Parch, stirring, until it becomes opaque then transparent again.  (This also speeds cooking time.)

Put drained lentils and onions back in the pan with about 3 cups of water.  Some say boiling water, but I didn't see any difference.  Add spices and salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, if you're opting for crisp onions on top, chop more onion and start to frying.

Simmer with a lid for about a half hour or so, until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice and lentils are cooked; keep an eye on the pan.  If lentils stick, add more water.  (The original recipe called for simmering for an hour...I would have had a burned mess!)

Make a salad of greens, cucumber , radishes, tomato, whatever is crisp and cool. Toss with a lemon and olive-oil dressing.







Put a generous dollop in a bowl, top with the salad and crisp onions.  You'll likely want seconds and STILL have leftovers, this is enough for 4 people at least.