Hearty simmered curried lentils mixed with bacon and cabbage browned in the bacon drippings equals a dish everyone will love. Perfect served with garlic naan and a salad.
I think I can probably say with certainty that I never ate lentils as a kid. I’m sure I didn’t even know what they were (and beans? I only remember eating them as sugar-laden baked beans!).
As I started trying more international foods as an adult, I came across varieties of Indian Dal made with red or brown lentils and salads made with French green lentils. They were always good, no matter what the preparation, even though I leaned towards the spicy end of the scale.
Little did I know what nutritional powerhouses lentils were then – I guess that’s the best way to discover something, isn’t it?
So of course I decided to make them a part of my cooking, since they were good tasting and good for you – and they cooked fairly quickly without needing to be soaked as many beans do. Well, and pretty economical, too, especially as a protein source.
As a result, we eat the best sausage and lentil stew ever often at our house, and eat fast and easy curried red lentil soup a bit less – but only because it’s harder to find red lentils and they’re a bit more expensive.
Curried Lentils with Bacon & Browned Cabbage
I’ve been wanting to make a curried lentil dish for awhile – one that had added turmeric (because you know I pretty much think it’s a wonder, right?) and something a bit different, too…like bacon!
I’m sure I don’t need to repeat the saying about bacon we all know and love, but even Indian curry-flavored dishes can benefit from a bit of bacon, don’t you think?
And since we’re cooking up a few slices of bacon, why not brown things like onions, garlic, and cabbage in the pan afterwards, scraping up all the browned bits? Seriously, yum.
This dish turned out so amazing! My whole family was impressed that such a humble looking dish could taste so great.
And if you wanted to leave out the bacon and make this a vegetarian curry, there is enough flavor from everything else to do it well. Just brown the cabbage in butter or ghee and proceed with the recipe.
I used a hot curry in addition to red pepper flakes – we like things spicy – so topping it all with fresh chopped tomatoes added that nice cool/hot aspect to the dish that many Indian foods have. Of course yogurt is the traditional accompaniment, and you could certainly add that as a side to the dish, too.
Served with a flatbread and a green salad, you’ve got a meal – though if you’re like my family, having a couple of grilled chicken thighs available adds lots of mom-points, ha!
Did you grow up with lentils? Do you cook with them now?
Curried Lentils with Bacon & Browned Cabbage (Slow Cook or Stove Top)
Ingredients
Lentils:
- 1-1/4 cup brown lentils rinsed and picked over as needed
- 4 cups water or chicken broth
- 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder use smaller amount with a hot curry, larger amount if mild
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon salt less if using a salted chicken broth instead of water
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
Bacon Browned Cabbage:
- 4 pieces bacon*
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups roughly chopped cabbage (about 1/4 large head)
- 1 or 2 tomatoes diced
- Chopped parsley or chives for garnish optional
Instructions
Cook lentils:
- Slow Cooker Method: add all lentil ingredients to the bowl of a slow cooker, stirring to mix. Cook on Low for 4 hours or High for 2 hours until most of the liquid evaporates.
- Oven Top Method: add all ingredients to a large stockpot, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on medium-low heat, covered, for 40-50 minutes, until lentils are done.
Cook Cabbage:
- In a large skillet cook bacon until crisp; drain on paper towels, crumble and set aside.
- Saute chopped onion in bacon grease over medium heat 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cabbage. Raise heat to medium-high and cook 3-5 minutes to brown cabbage.
- Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until cabbage is tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a couple tablespoons of water towards the end of cooking to deglaze the pan.
- Scrape the vegetables into the lentil pot and stir well to combine. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, as desired.
- Serve topped with chopped tomatoes, crumbled bacon and optional chives or parsley for garnish.
Notes
Nutrition
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tammy says
Wow, what timing. I am 53 yrs old and have never tried lentils. My cousin talked me into trying her lentil soup recipe for the first time yesterday. Then I come along your blog post today,lol. She also makes a mock meatball with lentils she likes to eat with spaghetti thta I am thinking of trying. Along with your recipe. I love spicy things and this looks really good.
Tammy
Jami says
Awesome, Tammy! I hope you’ll try our favorite Lentil-Sausage Stew, too – it’s what turned me on to lentils in the fist place many years ago. 🙂
Shirl says
I have only cooked lentils a couple of times but I did like them. I am going to try this recipe.
mindy says
We’re a lentil and curry lovin’ house, so I’m all over this one. You should try the salad dressing recipe I posted recently with the turmeric and peanut butter. Soooo stinkin’ good.
Jami says
Oh, how did I miss that recipe, Mindy?? I’m off to look for it now – yum. 🙂
Nita says
I use lentils in spaghetti sauce instead of beef. It’s very yummy! I am looking for recipes using beans and lentils as a meat substitute as we are trying to eat less flesh.
Jami says
Oh, I bet that would be good, Nita!
Shirl says
I am going to try that . We are eating less meat and that might work for us. Thanks
sharon corcoran says
I want to try this please, when you were young I never knew any thing about lentits. But now I love them. Mom
Jami says
Okay – but be warned, it’s a bit spicy. 😉
Sue R. says
I like lentils too…but never had them as a child (or even young adult 🙂
I’ve copied below a recipe for vegetable broth powder that works great instead of water or chicken broth in most things. Might be useful in your stews or soups. (Came from Renee Tougas blog fimby.tougas.net, my comments in parenthesis)
Ingredients:
1 part dehydrated vegetable flakes (I’ve bought a dry vegetable soup at our local WinCo grocery store to use as the flakes)
3 parts nutritional yeast
1/2 part onion powder
1/4 part garlic powder
1/4 part italian seasoning
1/2 part dried parsley
Directions:
Put all ingredients in a blender and pulverize to a fine powder. Store in airtight container.
2 tsp – 1 tbsp of broth powder mixed with 1 cup of water makes a flavorful broth. Add salt to your own tastes. (I add this to water when I’m making rice or quinoa.)
Jami says
Thanks so much for this, Sue! It sounds like it would make a very flavorful broth – and I have a jar of dehydrated vegetable flakes I never use, now I know what to do with it. 🙂
Kari J. says
I never ate lentils as a child. The first time I had them was about 15 or so years ago in a French Mushroom and Lentil soup — creamy with sliced carrots — Mm-mm. I fell in love & pick up any lentil recipe I can find. I have a yummy broth based lentil and smoked sausage soup with cabbage, carrots & diced canned tomatoes that we eat frequently, along with your sausage and lentil stew. Look forward to trying this recipe too. Thanks for sharing, Jami.
Jami says
Funny to think we can love lentils, huh, Kari. 😉 I’m sure some out there would roll their eyes, ha! But they are so good – and your soup sounds lovely, too!
Kari J. says
Part of me thinks “what’s not to love?”, but my oldest daughter just began liking lentils after thoroughly disliking the way they “exploded” in her mouth. What?! I’m still not sure about that one, but then I’m not a big pea fan because of the way they “explode” in my mouth. 🙂 To each his own I guess. I’ll take lentils any day over peas! LOL
Jami says
Oh, that’s funny, Kari! I can see that with regular beans and peas, but little ol’ lentils? 🙂
Kari J. says
I agree, Jami. At least she grew out of it. Whew! The younger three are still a little on the skittish side when it comes to lentils (or beans or peas for that matter), but I expect we haven’t been as “hard” on them when it comes to eating what’s put on the table. The older three have all “enjoyed” a wide range of tastes for many years. I’ve mellowed in my old age. 🙂