How do you choose the meals you plan to make? Do you tend to fly by the seat of your pants when it comes to dinner plans or do you meticulously plan each meal? I’m a planner, but only in the last few years since I got married and started this blog. I remember my first grocery trip post-college, pre-marriage when I was living by myself. I entered the store with no list and no plan in mind which resulted in a rather odd assortment of ingredients. It’s no wonder I spent those months of solo living eating pb&j, microwaveable nachos, and cereal! Nowadays, trips to the grocery store are much different. I meal plan at home and then make my list accordingly, sticking to it most of the time (save for a few impulse purchases…usually treats for Ryan or chocolate chips for baking experiments!).
A few weeks ago, we were out of food and I had a small window of opportunity to grocery shop. Somehow, making a list hadn’t happened that week and I was forced to throw a menu plan and list together in a matter of minutes. I grabbed the nearest magazine, Family Circle in this case, and starting writing down ingredients for the first recipe I saw: Garam Masala Spiced Lentils and Potatoes.
My sporadic pick turned out to be a good one! This meal exceeded mine and Ryan’s expectations…he liked it enough to eat it for lunch and dinner one day. The recipe makes enough to feed an army—I froze about a third of it to pull out on a busy evening and we enjoyed the rest over a few meals. This lentil dish was healthy, but not boring, thanks to the spice profile. I think I need to start meal planning at the last second more often! 
Garam Masala Lentils and Potatoes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
A meatless main dish featuring lentils and sweet potatoes!
Ingredients
- l lb (450 g) brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
- 1 1/2 lbs (680 g) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- 2 onions, peeled and chopped
- 1 (14 1/2 oz) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
- 2 tsp (10 ml) salt
- 1 1/2 tsp (7 ml) garam masala seasoning
- 1/2 tsp (2 ml) ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp (2 ml) black pepper
- 2 red or yellow peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) cilantro leaves, chopped
- 3/4 cup (6 oz) toasted slivered almonds
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, combined 4 cups water, lentils, potatoes, onions, diced tomatoes, salt, garam masala, cumin, and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 35 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Add chopped peppers and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
- Stir in cilantro just before serving. Sprinkle with almonds over the top.
Notes
- from Family Circle October 2011
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 290
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Mujadara Recipe: Middle Eastern Lentils and Rice
- Smokey Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
- General Tso’s Cauliflower
- Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Frequently Asked Questions
What is garam masala and where can I find it?
Garam masala is a warm spice blend common in Indian cooking, typically containing cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, and black pepper. This recipe uses 1 1/2 tsp alongside 1/2 tsp ground cumin. It’s available in the spice aisle of most grocery stores and any Indian grocery.
Can this dish be frozen for later meals?
Yes — the recipe makes a very large batch (6–8 servings), and the author specifically froze about a third of it to pull out on a busy evening. Her husband liked it enough to eat it for both lunch and dinner in one day.
Do the toasted slivered almonds and cilantro need to be cooked into the dish, or are they a finishing garnish?
Both are finishing touches added at the very end. Stir in the 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro just before serving and sprinkle the 3/4 cup of toasted slivered almonds over the top — keeping them separate from the simmer preserves their fresh flavor and crunch.
We always fly by the seat of our pants when we cook. It always depends on how we feel that particular day. Yesterday it was cheesy homemade pizza and tonight were having steak and stuffed portobello mushrooms.
Actually, most of the time it depends on the weather!