Celebrating Summer Days

by Boschek

 

 

Summer is now upon us here in central Germany and with it comes a lot of work outside in the yards and gardens. The work, however, brings joy and we love our herbs and our roses, our trees gardens. In the evening there is always time to bake a pie.

 

Tandoori Spiced Curried Red Lentils with Tiger Prawns

 

With the warm weather and outside work we have been finding a number of recipes that don’t take a lot of time or energy, that are nonetheless delicious and are pleasant on the warmest of days. This dish of curried lentils just fit the bill and we thought our viewers would enjoy it here, too. Our version is modified from a recipe we found in “Taste of Home, Canada.

We have enjoyed this meal twice recently and it is excellent, easy to prepare and requires only one pot and one skillet. It can be varied by using baby shrimp, scallops or even white fish. Tandoori paste is available in most supermarkets these days, or in specialty Asian markets or from Amazon. All the rest of the ingredients should be easy to obtain.

 

 

Here is the recipe with some discussion about possible variations. The basic recipe is in the recipe register.

Ingredients for 4 servings

24 shrimp cooked
1 can chopped tomatoes
16 oz. (400 g) dried red lentils
2 tbsp tandoori curry paste
1 tbsp curry powder
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 large onion diced
1 garlic clove minced
1 bell pepper diced

Instructions

Rinse lentils well in cold water until the water remains clear. Place lentils in saucepan, cover with water (1 to 2 cups, or 250 to 500 mL) and simmer, covered, until lentils are tender, approximately 20 minutes. If needed, add more water while cooking. Drain lentils and set aside.

Meanwhile, in large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, bell pepper and garlic until softened. In a small bowl, combine tandoori paste, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, salt and pepper. Add curry mixture to onion and continue cooking over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato and reduce heat. Taste and adjust the heat by adding the chili powder. You can easily vary the seasoning according to the curry powder you use. If not spicy enough for your taste add more chili powder. Some curry preparations are already so spicy you may need to use less chili. Best try before serving!

Stir in baby shrimp and lentils, and simmer for about 5 minutes. If using raw shrimp simmer until the shrimp are pink.

When lentils are heated through, divide between four dishes and serve. We also like to adorn the plates with fresh coriander green (cilantro).

Note: This is one of those recipes you can vary in many ways. You can add other vegetables or replace the bell pepper. The original recipe called for tomato paste rather than canned tomatoes. This makes a much dryer dish, which some people may prefer. The seafood can be replaced with tofu or sauteed chicken breast. Many variations are possible.

We will be putting up more Indian recipes in the next months as they are so varied and interesting, not to mention that they are delicious!


 

We love our home and its cozy warmth in the winter, but the summer is special, perhaps because it is relatively short here where we live. When the weather is nice in the summer we are outside, enjoying the beauty of our yards and gardens. We try never to take for granted the beautiful surroundings and the opportunity we have to live and care for this island of peace and tranquility.

 

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