Keema Curry with Lentils

Sam in Japan
February 27, 2018

So, you know I wrote up my Keema curry recipe a bit ago? And I said I wanted to make it with lentils some time?

Well, I did (mostly), and I can say it is a great success!

You’ll want some sort of fat if you’re doing only lentils, but I added a bit of ground pork I got on super sale, but next time, I won’t bother. I also used tomato purée instead of an actual tomato, and instead of peas, I used green onions.

I love curry, because you can easily mix it up like that. We ate it with whole wheat bread, and discovered right at the end that it is also delicious with a dollop of (unsweetened, plain) yogurt.

I’ll be eating leftovers on toast tomorrow!

Print Recipe

Keema Curry with Lentils

Vegetarian lentil keema curry made with stuff you can find easily in Japan
Prep Time1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 4 people
Cost: ￥1200 (US$12)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup lentils green or yellow, dried
  • 1 medium onion finely diced
  • 2 Tbsp minced garlic
  • 4 tsp grated ginger
  • 2 tsp paprika (I prefer Hungarian
  • 1 Tbsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds (optional)
  • 1-2 Tbsp vegetarian curry paste (to taste)
  • 1 large tomato (or tomato paste)
  • 1 cup/small package frozen peas thawed
  • 2 tsp mirin
  • salt and pepper
  • canola oil for cooking, make sure your oil doesn't add any flavor

Instructions

  • Boil the dried lentils until they're soft.
  • Saute onions and cumin seeds until onions are golden and soft.
  • Add garlic and ginger, saute another minute or two for aromatics.
  • Stir in paprika, garam masala, cumin, and curry paste. Cook another minute or two until curry paste is dissolved. Add a slight amount of water if needed.
  • Add in the lentils, mirin, and tomato/tomato paste.
  • Simmer for 5 minutes, partially covered.
  • Stir in thawed peas and finish seasoning to taste. Simmer another 5-10 minutes.

Notes

The “vegetarian curry paste”, and it’s just basically curry roux. While you could make it without it, I found it added the right kick of spices to move it from good to great.
Also, I do use a whole lot more garam masala than most recipes, but I suspect that’s because Japanese spices are weaker than their authentic counterparts, so add the garam masala slowly and taste it as you go so you don’t overdo it.
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