Green-Lentil Curry

my roommate found this recipe in food and wine magazine so we tried making green-lentil curry. we didn't have green beans and kale so i substituted broccoli instead.

overall, it was a very easy tasty dish. be careful with the cayenne. you want it to have a punch, but don't get knocked out!

Green-Lentil Curry by Madjur Jaffrey

Ingredients

1. 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
2. 1 garlic clove, mashed to a paste
3. 2 teaspoons ground coriander
4. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
5. 3 tablespoons canola oil
6. 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
7. 1 small shallot, minced
8. 1 tablespoon tomato paste mixed with 1 tablespoon of water
9. 1 1/4 cups dried green lentils
10. 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
11. 4 ounces green beans, cut into 3/4-inch lengths
12. 4 ounces kale, stemmed and leaves finely chopped
13. 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
14. 1 cup finely chopped cilantro
15. 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
16. Salt

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine the ginger, garlic, coriander and ground cumin. Stir in 1/4 cup of water to make a paste. In a small skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds and cook over moderately high heat for 5 seconds, just until sizzling. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the spice paste and let cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until thick, about 1 minute longer.
2. In a saucepan, combine the lentils with the turmeric and 5 cups of water; bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, until the lentils are barely tender. Add the green beans, kale, carrot, three-fourths of the cilantro and the cayenne and season with salt. Cook until the lentils and vegetables are tender, 15 minutes. Scrape in the spice paste and the remaining cilantro. Simmer for 5 minutes, then serve.

Serve With

Steamed basmati rice, warm naan and plain yogurt.

Wine

Fragrant, herbal Pinot Noir: 2008 R Wines Permutations.