My lentils are inspired by my dear friend and fabulous cook Dianne Harrington. The recipe is an approximation. It is different every time. The basics are I make a lentil base by cooking the lentils with some flavorings. I transfer the base to plastic containers. Then I make up batches as I need them.

Ingredients

2 cups water or vegetable cooking water
1 lb. package brown lentils including garlic / herb packet
2 Bay leaves
1/2 - 1 tsp. curry powder

battuto
olive oil
curry powder
heavy cream
parsley
black pepper
salt (optional)

Battuto

A battuto is the Italian culinary term for a finely minced combination of herbs and/or vegetables usually used to flavor sauces, such as ragu bolognese. The traditional selection for bolognese is carrot, celery, onion, and parsley.

2 carrots
2 jalapeños
2 stalks celery with leaves
1/2 red pepper
1/2 green pepper
1 onion
other vegetables, such as broccoli stems and mushrooms

Mince all together. You can use an Italian mezzaluna (a crescent-shaped knife) or your chef's knife, on a cutting board, or you can use a blender. However, if you use a blender, be careful to not overblend.

Directions:

Cook the lentils with 2 cups water with the garlic/herb packet, 1/2 tsp curry powder and Bay leaves. Note that package directions tell you to use 4 cups water.

Sauté battuto in olive oil. Add lentils and curry powder and mix together. Moisten with vegetable broth and heavy cream. Taste for seasonings. Mix in the minced parsley and serve.

Ingredients

1 lb. package lentils
1 tbs Madras curry powder
1 Tbs turmeric
1 large onion, minced
5 carrots, peeled and diced into small pieces
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tb olive oil
2 bay leaves
black pepper
4 cups chicken stock + water if needed
2 -4 Tbs cream

Method

Sauté in olive oil and onion w/ cumin, coriander, dried parsley, curry powder and red pepper flakes. Salt the onions and carmelize until soft and sweet. Add the carrots and garlic. Wash lentils. Sauté the washed and drained lentils for a 2-3 minutes. Put in chicken stock. Cook until soft then add heavy cream.

Ingredients:

2 cups red lentils
2 cups thin coconut milk
1 dried red chili, broken into pieces
2 teaspoons pounded Maldive fish
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon or oil
6 curry leaves
2 medium onions, finely sliced
5 cm (2 inch) strip pandan leaf
5 cm (2 inch) stick of cinnamon
small stalk lemon grass or strip of lemon rind
1/2 cups thick coconut milk
salt to taste

Directions:

Wash lentils well until water is clean. Remove and discard lentils that float on the surface of the water or any that are discolored. Put drained lentils in a saucepan with the thin coconut milk, chili, Maldive fish and turmeric. Bring to the boil, then cover and cook slowly until lentils are soft. In another saucepan heat the oil and fry the curry leaves, onions, ramped cinnamon and lemon grass until onions are brown. Reserve half the onions for garnishing the dish and turn the lentil mixture into the saucepan. Add thick coconut milk and salt to taste, and simmer uncovered until lentils are very soft and the consistency of runnv porridge. Serve with rice and curries

Posted at http://www.lankalinksystems.com/recipes/ April 21, 2003

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
5 red potato, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 T curry powder
1ž4 tsp cayenne pepper
5 c water or 3 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
2 c lentils (about 12 ounces), rinsed, drained

Directions:

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery and sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Mix in curry powder and cayenne and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add water or broth, tomatoes with juices, carrots, potatoes and lentils and bring to boil. Cover pot, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until lentils are very tender, about 30-45 minutes. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made up to 2 days ahead. Refrigerate until cold; cover and keep refrigerated. Before serving, rewarm soup over low heat.)

Posted at ___ February 3, 2010

from Fine Cooking by Allison Ehri Kreitler

Ingredients:

1 large clove garlic
1 piece (1/3 inch long) peeled fresh ginger
1/2 small bulb fennel, cored and cut into large chunks, or 1 small rib celery, cut into large chunks
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 small parsnip, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 large shallot, cut in half
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 tsp. curry powder
1 cup brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 qt. homemade or lowsalt canned chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 tsp. kosher salt; more as needed
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; more as needed

Directions:

1. Pulse the garlic and ginger in a food processor until chopped. Add the fennel or celery, carrot, parsnip, and shallot and pulse until coarsely chopped.
2. Melt 2 Tbs. of the butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped vegetables and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring, until the curry powder is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the lentils, broth, salt, and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to maintain a brisk simmer, cover, and cook until the lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Transfer 1-1/2 cups of the soup to a blender or a food processor and purée until smooth. Stir the purée back into the soup along with the remaining 1 Tbs. butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and adjust the consistency with water, if you like.
4. Garnish with a dollop of plain whole-milk yogurt and chopped fresh mint or cilantro, or both.

Source: Fine Cooking http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/curried-lentil-soup.aspx accessed January 3, 2012