Garam Masala Lentils

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I've always been curious about garam masala. It certainly sounds interesting and tasty.

It's similar to a curry. A blend of spices. But it's less complex than a curry blend. It's usually used as a starting point and additional spices are added.

I got some as a gift and decided to try it with lentils and barley in a curry.

If you like curry and haven't yet tried adding garam masala, you should. It's easy to get online. It adds a whole new level of depth.

I love lentils in a curry because they need a lot of flavor and they bring texture as well as thickening properties. You don't want a loose or watery curry.

I made a huge batch. This yielded 2.5 quarts of food. So you may want to halve the measurements.

1 red bell pepper, diced
2 poblano peppers, diced
2 jalapenos, minced
2 serranos, minced
5 cloves garlic, smashed and diced
2 cups fresh spinach
1 cup fresh kale
1/2 cup dry lentils
1/2 cup dry pearl barley
1 can coconut milk
3 heaping spoonfuls of my harissa 2.0
1 tbl olive oil
3 1/2 cups water

3 1/2 tbls garam masala
2 tbls alleppo pepper
2 1/2 tbls paprika
2 1/2 tbls turmeric
3 1/2 tbls salt

Add all the peppers, garlic, and oil  to a large sauce pot. Add 2 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

Add lentils, barley, spices, coconut milk, harissa and remaining water. Continue simmering covered for 5 minutes.

Add spinach and kale.

Simmer until lentils and barley are tender.

If you love curry, you will love this.



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