Recipe: Jalfrazie-Inspired Lentils

One of my favorite ways to come up with new recipes is to visit restaurants or grocery stores and find what inspires me.  Then I collect ideas and scurry home to add them to my cooking list.  When it comes time to cook, I sometimes look up a recipe online, but other times it’s fun to walk on the wild side and improvise.  Could be great.  Could be terrible.  Only trial and error will tell.

Today’s recipe falls into the improvised category.  Vegetables Jalfrazie is one of my go-to recipes at my local Indian restaurant, and when I found a jar of jalfrazie sauce at a specialty grocery store I got inspired to create my own version.  I snapped a photo of the ingredients list and headed home to make my own.  My dish gets an extra protein boost with some lentils.  It’s not authentic, but it tastes pretty darn good.  This recipe is comforting, filling, and packed with protein and fiber.  It’s delicious served with a side of quinoa, but you can use any whole grain of your choice to soak up the saucy goodness.

If you give it a try, let me know how you like it, and tag @tanyasealgrant on Instagram so I can see your creations!

Jalfrazie-Inspired Lentils

Ingredients

For the flavor base

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2″ piece of ginger, peeled
• 1/2 onion
• 1/2 bell pepper
• 2 T tomato paste
• 2 tsp coconut sugar
• 1 T Thai red curry paste
• 1/2 T garam masala

For the lentils

• 1 T coconut oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 head of broccoli, chopped, stems separated
• 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 c vegetable stock
• 1 c green lentils
• salt to taste

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine ingredients from garlic through garam masala.  Blend until a thick paste forms.
2. Melt coconut oil in a large soup pot set over medium high heat.  Add chopped onion and sauté until the onion is translucent and fragrant.
3. Add in the flavor base, along with carrots, bell pepper, and broccoli stems.  Sauté, stirring frequently, for a minute.
4. Add diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, and lentils.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low.  Simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.
5. Add broccoli florets in the last 10 minutes of cooking, to avoid overcooking.
6. When lentils are cooked through, add salt to taste.
7. Serve lentils over quinoa, rice, or your grain of choice.

Notes: If you want a sweeter version, you can add a bit of coconut milk to the finished recipe for another layer of creaminess and brightness.