Let’s be honest. Lentil and beans are pretty boring. They don’t have a ton of flavor on their own, but this recipe will change all that. It has a little kick, but it’s not too hot. The spices blend perfectly and take your beans and lentils up a notch {or 20}.
If you aren’t a fan of spice, you can tone down the cayenne, or increase it if you like a lot of kick in your recipes. Either way, you certainly won’t be calling your beans boring anymore!
Ingredients
2 cups cooked lentils
1 {15 oz} can red beans, rinsed
1/2 onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 {15 oz} can crushed tomatoes {do not drain}
2 tablespoons green chilies
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sour cream
Directions
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, saute onions and garlic in a drizzle of olive oil until translucent and fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add salt, cumin, chili powder and cayenne, stir and cook for 2 additional minutes. Add tomatoes and chilies, reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes. Add lentils and beans and let it cook down until it thickens, you can add the water here if you’d prefer a less thick option. Salt to taste. Stir in sour cream or greek yogurt right before serving to give it a creamier texture.
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Bethie says
I regularly buy the madras lentils from costco and I’m wondering how similar this recipe is to those. Have you ever tried them?
Gwenn says
I’m curious too….I enjoy the madras lentils from Costco and this recipe looks similar to some of the copy cat recipes for the madras lentils I’ve seen.
Hazel says
Thanks Mavis 🙂 Sounds delicious- I’ll definitely try that next week.
My lentils and rice recipe is simpler, but tastier than it sounds from the recipe. Even my carnivorous husband likes it 🙂
I’ve found this version online http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/brown-lentils-and-rice-with-caramelized-onions which is authentically cooked. I usually cook my rice separately, which is what Claudia Roden (a prolific and esteemed Middle Eastern/Mediterranean cookbook author in the UK. Not sure if she’s known in the States?) suggests in my book. If you use red split lentils instead of green or brown it’s called masafi. Either way it’s good for using up storecupboard ingredients!
The online recipe mentions a yoghurt sauce which I’ve not seen before, but it would go well, I think.
janet in woodway says
I’m making this soon. I hope it is the copycat recipe for Madras lentils. I tried a sample at Costco, loved it, but too expensive for my budget.
Thanks Mavis!!
Catherine says
I wonder if you could use greek yogurt instead of sour cream….
ann in E. oregon says
Hi Mavis! I made this recipe and it was delicious! I wonder what kind of lentils you used? The lentils in the picture look like the ones I used, but my finished product didn’t have the nice caramel color that yours does. Thank you!
Stacie says
I made this recipe this evening. The flavor and spice reminds me of a Texas chili recipe. This recipe is wonderful!
Michelle says
Tasty Bite has what is called Indian Madras Lentils which are SO addictive. This is the copycat recipe for these! I was dreaming about a recipe for this and here it is! Thank you Mavis for the answer to my prayers!