Week 35 -- Red Lentil Curry Stew

This is the last soup I cooked in my apartment.  My next soup will have to be made in my temporary home at my parents' house while I wait to finish paperwork and such for the house I'm buying. 

Because this was at the height of packing, I had limited cooking equipment and I was trying to use things up from my pantry.  However, I had a picnic to attend and I needed a dish to pass.  I made this stew nice and thick so it works well for picnics and potlucks and can be eaten off plates, not bowls.

This is not the world's healthiest stew.  Coconut milk, even light coconut milk, is really high in saturated fat.  This is definitely a special occasion stew, and it is good for picnics or parties where everyone will just be eating a portion, not one person eating the whole batch.  With that said, it's very crowd friendly.  It's flavorful without being too spicy.  If you love spice, feel free to add more curry powder.

Speaking of curry powder, I use a homemade blend from my mom that doesn't have cloves in it.  You can use whatever curry powder you like, but if you have corn or gluten sensitivities make sure to read the ingredients and watch for fillers.  The big benefit of curry powder is that it includes both turmeric and black pepper.  Turmeric is great for you, but your body can absorb even more of the great curcumin if you eat it with black pepper.

There's my stew, ready to be packed in my thermal bag for the picnic.

Red Lentil Curry Stew

1 lb dry red lentils
4 cups water
1 red onion, diced
2 cups diced apples
1 can lite coconut milk
1 Tbsp curry powder (more if desired)

1. Cook red lentils in the water.  Watch carefully to see if it needs more water.  You want the cooked lentils to be not too watery, but you don't want your lentils to burn either.  They cook fast in about 15 minutes.
2. Add the onion, apple, coconut milk, and curry powder.  Let simmer about 30-45 minutes.  Apples and onions should be very tender.
Makes about 6 large servings.