VEGAN RED LENTIL CURRY
This recipe by Rainbow Plant Life has been one of my all time favourite comfort foods while on the candida cleanse. It requires very few omissions to remain “on the cleanse,” and in fact the lawyer turned food blogger Nisha has many recipes that can be worked within the cleanse. She also takes the time to explain why she uses certain ingredients and the chemistry behind her cooking. I have learned so much from her recipes and they are absolutely delicious!
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon refined or virgin coconut oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced or grated
1 tablespoon minced fresh turmeric, or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1-2 serrano peppers, diced (see recipe note below on spice level)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon Indian red chili powder (if you only have regular chili powder, which is a blend, use 1 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
Kosher salt or sea salt to taste (I use about 1 tsp kosher salt, and add more at the end)
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1 cup (180-190g) red lentils, or split red lentils (the split variety will cook a bit quicker)
2 cups (480 mL) low-sodium vegetable broth (if you cannot find one that is candida friendly just use water)
1 14 ounce (400-425g) can crushed tomatoes
1 13.5- ounce (400 mL) can full-fat coconut milk
3 tablespoons unsweetened creamy almond butter
1/2 a small lemon, juiced
1/2 cup (~8g) fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
For serving: Basmati or Jasmine rice
From Nisha’s recipe at Rainbow Plant Life, I have omitted two things. Only coconut oil is permitted while cooking in heat. There is no wheat on the cleanse (so I removed the options of Indian flatbread such as roti, paratha, or naan). Also, it is important to check that your broth does not have any mushrooms, carrots, yeast etc that are not on the go-to list. If it does, just use water. Other than that, this recipe is SO perfect and as Nisha recommends, adjust it to your tastes. She has 5 stars from 768 votes and one of those votes are mine.
Please refer to her original recipe for cooking instructions.