A dish of stewed lentils certainly cannot be missed on New Year’s, tradition says they bring good fortune for our pockets… So, cheers to lentils! Could I just prepare lentils with a bit of sauce? No, certainly not. I really like lentils paired with Indian spices, it’s a perfect combination. Obviously, if you don’t like these spices, you can skip them entirely, but in the indicated quantity, they fit perfectly and the taste remains very delicate: try them! Made this way, they are very light, just a teaspoon of oil, and so, on New Year’s, we can eat a generous portion and wish for a prosperous new year! They are truly exquisite and perfect, even paired with a slice (a small slice, mind you!) of cotechino or zampone, or if you want to make a vegan dish, you can make these:

Vegan Lentil Balls

Difficulty: Very Easy
Cost: Very Cheap
Preparation time: 5 Minutes
Portions: 4 generous
Cooking methods: Stove
Cuisine: Healthy

Ingredients

1 cup dried lentils (preferably one of the small brown varieties)
1 carrot (small)
1 stalk celery (optional)
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons curry powder (homemade following the link or bought)
2 teaspoons ground cumin (more or less to taste)
1 bunch fresh parsley
to taste salt
Points per serving = 4 WW points

Preparation

First, boil the lentils as indicated on the package. In my case, I used a variety of small lentils that did not need soaking. So I rinsed them, covered them with cold water, and boiled them for about 20 minutes. I added the salt at the end, and all the water was absorbed; otherwise, it’s good to drain them and keep a little cooking water.
Place the sliced garlic, chopped carrot, and celery, curry, cumin, and the teaspoon of oil in a non-stick pan or pot. In the photos, the celery is missing because I didn’t have it at home, but it’s excellent in this dish: add it! Let it season for a few minutes, then add the tomato paste. Cook for another couple of minutes, stirring often, and then add the lentils and a bit of their cooking water. Stir and let it season for about 5 minutes. Salt if necessary and add finely chopped parsley.
And here our spicy stewed lentils are ready! They make a beautiful presentation with the orange of the carrots on the serving plate, even more colorful with sprigs of fresh parsley as a garnish…
How delicious they are, especially thanks to the Indian spices. They are sweet and fragrant, ideal for New Year’s but also for every other day. They are excellent served hot just cooked but also at room temperature.
I love lentils, which are perfect for preparing many light dishes! And they are so easy to prepare…
Enjoy and happy new year to everyone!
by Giovanna Buono