Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian.
Yield
Serves 2-3 people
Ingredients
- 1 medium-to-large onion
- olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 cup dried green lentils
- 1 piece of fresh ginger
- 20 oz (2 bunches) fresh spinach
- 1.5 tsp salt
- black pepper
- plain yogurt
Preparation
- Peel, halve, and slice the onion. In an omelette pan, sauté the onion in 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns reddish-brown (about 30 minutes).
- Peel and chop the garlic. Inspect the lentils, removing any stones, and rinse and drain them. In a small saucepan, sauté the garlic in 1 tbsp of olive oil for 30 seconds, and then add the lentils and 2.5 cups of water. Bring to a boil, and set a timer for a 30-minute simmer, partially covering the pot.
- Peel and chop the ginger. Rinse the spinach, discarding the stems. Spin the leaves in a salad spinner. If you feel any grit at the bottom of the spinner, rinse the spinach again.
- When the onions are brown, spoon them onto a folded paper towel.
- When there are 5 minutes left on the timer for the lentils, heat about 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large soup pot and sauté the ginger for 30 seconds, while stirring. Add the spinach and 0.5 tsp salt. Continue stirring until the spinach has wilted (4 to 5 minutes).
- When the lentils are done, add about 1 tsp salt, and black pepper to taste.
- Place in individual serving bowls: a ladle of lentils, a forkful of spinach, a dollop of yogurt, and a forkful of caramelized onions.
(For a one-page PDF version, click here.)