Red Lentil

This dish just scratches the surface of the marvelous world of Indian cuisine. In European and American cooking we have embraced the virtues of fresh herbs, but it is in the Indian kitchen that we begin to understand how spices can work together in fragrant and intense combinations, creating lingering flavors. In this dish the warmth of cinnamon romances cumin and other savory spices. The yogurt tenderizes and adds moisture to the lean turkey meat, and the creamy lentils eliminate the need for sauce. This dish needs nothing more than a scoop of warm basmati rice, but it’s also delicious with Brown Butter Cauliflower (p. 296).

Red lentils are quick-cooking beans, making them an obvious choice for last-minute meals. Their texture is starchier than regular lentils, and they have a light, sweet taste reminiscent of potatoes. For a creamier soup, add a dollop of Cucumber Yogurt (page 184). For a hint of spice, serve it with the Cilantro-Jalapeño Sauce (page 184).

Lentil soup was one of my grandfather’s favorites, and my “five-alarm” version of it certainly pays homage to his dedicated service as a firefighter. Just when the heat of the Sriracha feels like it might engulf your palate, the finishing dollop of sour cream really helps tame the flames

Both nourishing and sublimely satisfying, this thick soup incorporates fall’s first sweet potatoes with seasonal greens. Red lentils, which cook to a warm golden color, are available in natural food stores and ethnic groceries. Serve with Chapatis (page 158) or a store-bought flatbread.

Quick-cooking red lentils have a sweet, mild flavor that pairs well with rich paprika.

This ginger- and licorice-flavored soup chock-full of greens is a gratifying supper any time of year.

This recipe makes a lot, but the dish tastes even better the second day and lends itself well to variations. For instance, you can warm the leftovers and serve them in whole-grain pita pockets or add 1 tablespoon fat-free Italian or balsamic vinaigrette and 1/2 cup chopped raw vegetables to every 1/2 cup cooked and chilled red lentils.

This delicious dal curry may also be made with moong dal or an equal mixture of red lentils, masoor dal, and moong dal. Serve with rice and fish.

An everyday dal to be served with rice, vegetables, and curries. (In Bangladesh, the curry would often be made with fish.)

Red lentils, sold in Indian shops as skinless masoor dal and in some places as Egyptian red lentils, usually come in various shades of salmon pink. They originated in the Middle East but came into India quite early and are eaten throughout North India. This particular dish may be served with most Indian meals. It also happens to be particularly scrumptious over a pasta such as penne or fusilli.

Somewhere between the famous Mulligatawny Soup of the mixed-race Anglo-Indians and the soupy lentil-tomato-pasta dish, dal dholki, of the vegetarians of the western state of Gujarat, lies this soup. It is made with red lentils and tomatoes and may be served with a dollop of plain white rice or with some cooked pasta (pappardelle, noodles, macaroni) added to the soup just before it is heated for serving. This soup, plus a salad, makes for a perfect lunch or supper. There are three simple steps to follow here. First you boil up the lentils. As they cook, you sauté the seasonings. Then you combine the two and blend them.

Lentil soup is an Egyptian favorite. You can buy it in the street from vendors. When I went back once during the fasting month of Ramadan, I was wandering through a long market street and stopped in a tiny café. There was only one table and I was the only customer, and all they had to offer was lentil soup. They must have been Copts. They served me in great style, offering me all kinds of extra garnishes—scallions, lemons, toasted pita croutons—rushing out to buy each one, after each new demand, from the stalls outside, then preparing them in front of me at the table. There is no harm in making the soup in advance—even a day before.

Serve this creamy soup with thin Lebanese flat bread cut into triangles, opened out, brushed with olive oil, and toasted in the oven until crisp.

Kohlrabi, a bulbous vegetable with thin stems attached, is a member of the cabbage family. Both green and purple varieties are available. The flavor is a mix of turnip, celery root, and radish. Like other vegetables in the cabbage family, kohlrabi is rich in antioxidants.

This warming soup freezes nicely. After eating it for a night or two, freeze some for a rainy day—it’s a treat that is both spicy and soothing.

Sweet butternut squash teams up with earthy red lentils to make this simple and satisfying vegetarian dinner.

A fragrant and exotic dish.

In India, lentil-based dals are often served as a side dish, but adding a host of vibrant vegetables turns this into a main course. Brightened with turmeric and infused with garlic, ginger, and spices, the red lentils are cooked down into a creamy purée. Best of all, the flavor improves with time, so make it ahead for a night when you need a quick supper.

This vegetarian pâté, satisfyingly rich with a silky texture, will entice even the most die-hard carnivores. If you're not worried about keeping it vegetarian, you can substitute an equal amount of unflavored gelatin for the agar flakes.

Coconut milk adds a silky richness to this South Indian–style vegetarian meal.