Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Dietitian's tip: Lentils are mainstays in southern India, where pungent spices give distinction to many dishes. If you can't find yellow lentils, use yellow split peas.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon white or black sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 cup yellow lentils, picked over, rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock or broth
- 1/2 cup light coconut milk
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves, stemmed and chopped, or 1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (fresh coriander)
Directions
Toast only the white sesame seeds before using. To toast, place the sesame seeds in a small, dry saute or frying pan over medium heat. Cook briefly, shaking the pan often and watching carefully to prevent burning. Remove the seeds from the pan as soon as they begin to turn brown. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot, ginger, curry powder and turmeric and cook, stirring, until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the lentils, stock and coconut milk. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer until the lentils are tender but still firm, about 12 minutes. The mixture should be brothy; add a little water if needed.
Stir in the spinach, cover and simmer for about 3 minutes longer. The lentils should still hold their shape. Uncover and stir in the salt. Serve hot, garnished with the cilantro and toasted white or untoasted black sesame seeds.
Nutritional analysis per serving
| Serving size: About 3/4 cup | |||
| Calories | 243 | Sodium | 332 mg |
| Total fat | 7 g | Total carbohydrate | 32 g |
| Saturated fat | 2 g | Dietary fiber | 15 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g | Sugars | 0 g |
| Monounsaturated fat | 3 g | Protein | 13 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
Find Mayo Clinic on