Black Lentil Curry Recipe

Yield: 4 generous servings

Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 1 30

This black lentil curry combines black lentils, black chickpeas, tomatoes, coconut milk, and fragrant spices into a rich, satisfying curry. It's a cozy, flavorful meal that's perfect served over rice or with warm naan for scooping.

Ingredients

1 cup dried whole urad dal, black lentils
¼ cup dried black chickpeas, see notes
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 large onion, finely minced
2 inch piece ginger, finely minced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons EACH: cumin seeds and ground coriander
3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1 teaspoon EACH: garam masala and curry powder
½ teaspoon EACH: turmeric and chili powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
15 ounce can coconut milk

Instructions

Place the urad dal and black chickpeas in a pot and cover with a few inches of water. Set aside to soak for at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours.
1 cup dried whole urad dal, ¼ cup dried black chickpeas
Drain the water from the pot and add fresh water. Bring the water to a boil then reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover the pot, and let it cook until the chickpeas are soft, about 1 hour. Drain and rinse.
Heat the coconut oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add the cumin seeds and coriander to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until the oil begins to glisten, about 5 minutes.
1 tablespoon coconut oil, 1 large onion, 2 inch piece ginger, 4 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons EACH: cumin seeds and ground coriander, 3 medium tomatoes
Add 1 cup of water, the garam masala, curry powder, turmeric, chili powder, salt, and the cooked urad lentils and black chickpeas to the pan and stir. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
1 teaspoon EACH: garam masala and curry powder, ½ teaspoon EACH: turmeric and chili powder, 1 teaspoon sea salt
Using the back of a spoon, mash a few of the lentils. Stir in the coconut milk and heat through. Taste and add more salt if you'd like.
15 ounce can coconut milk

Notes

Black chickpeas, also known as Kala Channa or Bengal Gram, are similar to regular chickpeas only smaller and brown in color. If you can't find them, you can substitute regular chickpeas. If you sub canned chickpeas you will not need to cook them.

Serving: 1 serving = ¼ of the recipe, Calories: 366kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 689mg, Potassium: 453mg, Fiber: 15g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 872IU, Vitamin C: 19mg, Calcium: 87mg, Iron: 6mg