Slow Cooker Indian Lentil Stew

5 from 1 vote

This delightful stew requires just 20 minutes of preparation and magically transforms into a rich, creamy Indian-inspired creation that is great on its own or paired with fluffy steamed rice.

Prep Time20

Cook Time6

Total Time6 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: crock pot indian lentil stew, Slow Cooker Indian Lentil Stew, vegetarian indian lentil stew

Servings:

Author: Martha McKinnon | Simple Nourished Living

Equipment

Ingredients

2 cups dry red lentils
15 ounces canned diced tomatoes
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained (I used 6 ounces fresh added at the end instead.)
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup fresh minced cilantro

Instructions

Gather and prepare your ingredients.
In your slow cooker, combine all the ingredients, except for the lemon juice and cilantro. Stir well to ensure all the spices and ingredients are evenly distributed.
Cover and cook the mixture until the lentils are soft and the stew is thick and creamy. This should take approximately 3 hours on HIGH or 6 hours on LOW.
Once the stew has reached your desired consistency and the lentils are tender, taste it and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. Just before serving, stir in the fresh lemon juice and cilantro. This will brighten the flavors and add a burst of freshness. Garnish each bowl with more cilantro if desired.

Notes

Serving size: 1 cup

WW Points: 1

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7 PointsPlus (Old plan)

This recipe calls for an array of fresh and dried spices. Feel free to adjust them to suit your tastes and preferences. Spice blends, such as curry powder or garam masala would be great alternatives.

While the recipe called for frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained, I added 6 ounces chopped fresh baby spinach at the end of cooking time instead.

This stew could easily be bulked up with additional chopped vegetables such as carrot and cauliflower.

Nutrition