Slow Cooker Indian Spiced Lentils

This recipe is hearty and delicious. Feel free to add chicken, steak, or shrimp on the side to round out the meal. See slow cooker directions in notes.

📝 Ingredients

• 2-3 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 2-3 teaspoons yellow curry paste (see notes)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken broth (more if desired)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups red lentils
• 5-10 ounces spinach (fresh and chopped or frozen and thawed)
• juice of 1/2 lemon or one lime
• handful of chopped cilantro
• white rice
• additional chopped cilantro
• dollop of plain greek yogurt
• drizzle of olive oil
• naan or other flatbread

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Pick through lentils and discard any shriveled ones. Rise well with cool water and strain.
2. 2Heat a large stock pot on the stove top to medium heat. Add 2-3 teaspoons oil to coat bottom of pan and add onions. Saute for 4-5 minutes until tender.
3. 3Add garlic, ginger, curry powder, curry paste (feel free to start with just a little curry paste and add more to taste later), coriander, cumin, cayenne, and mustard seeds. Saute for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
4. 4Add diced tomatoes (do not drain), chicken broth, sugar, salt, pepper, and lentils.
5. 5Bring pot to a boil and reduce to a low simmer. Cover pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes until lentils are softened. (tip: this is super flexible, if you need more liquid, add some. If it's not thick enough, just simmer longer)
6. 6Add spinach and stir to wilt. You can add as much or as little spinach as you want. If you don't like large pieces of wilted spinach, just tear or chop it before adding.
7. 7Finally add cilantro and lemon or lime juice and season with additional salt and pepper to taste. You can also add more curry paste if desired, I suggest dissolving it in a small cup full of the warm broth from your pot first and then adding back in.
8. 8Serve over rice with naan on the side with a dollop of yogurt drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled withe additional salt, pepper, and cilantro.