Meatless Supper Club Meal #3 - Lentil Eggplant Curry

I will admit that this is not a super simple, quick on the table recipe, but it so delicious that it is worth the little bit of extra effort. It is not difficult by any means, but it does dirty up quite a few dishes and is best made on an afternoon when you will be around the house and have the time to be in and out of the kitchen.

Ingredients:

•6 medium plum tomatoes, cut in chunks
•1 medium eggplant cut in chunks
•1 tablespoon vegetable oil
•2 medium cloves garlic, chopped
•1 medium sweet onion, chopped
•1 cup lentils
•6 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth, or a combination
•2 medium potatoes cut in chunks, about 1 to 1 1/2 cups
•1 cup heavy cream
•2 tablespoons lemon juice
•1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder blend
•dash pepper
•salt, to taste

Preparation:
Line a baking sheet with foil; lightly grease or spray with olive oil spray. Arrange chopped tomatoes and eggplant on the baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.



Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan. Sauté the onions and garlic for 1 minute; add broth, lentils, and potato chunks. Bring to a boil.



Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until lentils and potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream.. Carefully puree the lentil mixture in small batches; return to the large saucepan. Add the roasted vegetables, lemon juice, curry powder, and pepper. Taste and add salt, if needed. Serve over rice with warm Naan on the side.

Oh, how I love Trader Joe's Garlic Naan.



As I said before, it is a meal that takes a little effort. But if you like Indian cuisine then this is a good option that tastes superb. It is thick and hearty and will fit in nicely during the cold winter months when all you want is a warm bowl of soup, but you're also really sick of just eating soup every night.


My kids aren't nearly as in love with this dish as I am. But they are also very protective of their rice. They don't want anything touching their rice...ever....unless it's a dash of teriyaki sauce....but that's it! So they are often skeptical of anything covering their rice. If I serve it to the side of the rice and encourage them to dip their Naan in it they are far more receptive. I'm sure you could experiment with the seasonings a bit to spice it up or tone it down depending on your family's preferences. Although about the 3rd time we had this for dinner it was not met with horrible groans, but some of the kids actually took bites and didn't even complain about it. So the persistence is paying off.

It is a thick and hearty meal that tastes just as good (maybe even a little better) when eaten as leftovers. The recipe is also large enough that you can easily take half and freeze it for another time. Don't forget to visit Enviromom every Friday for many more Meatless Supper Club ideas.