Kidney Bean & Lentil Dahl

Our family loves Indian food -- there's something about the saucy stew-like dishes that you sop up with bread or let soak into rice that speaks comfort to us.  Add in some fresh ginger and those curry spices and we all come running to the dinner table.  The original recipe came from my Let Them Eat Vegan cookbook by the wonderful Dreena Burton -- I have tweaked it to the point I forget what was hers and what is mine, but this is what I do, along with a slight variation.

Kidney Bean & Lentil Dahl
serves 6

• 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup broth
• 1/2 cup orange juice, or more broth
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 TBLS minced garlic
• 1 TBLS minced ginger
• 1 can red kidney beans, rinse and drain
• 1 cup red lentils (or just another can red kidney beans)
• OPT: 8-12 oz chopped mushrooms and/or 3-4 cups chopped cauliflower. 
• OPT: replace all dry spices with simply 1 TBLS cumin and 1 TBLS garam masala

-- Saute onion 2-3 minutes, add spices and cook 5 minutes until fragrant

-- Add broth and juice, cooking 1-2 minutes, then add remaining.

-- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20-25 minutes until lentils are cooked through and beans are soft.

-- Serve over 3-4 cups steamed rice with a salad on the side.

CROCKPOT: Dump everything in, high for 3 hrs, low for 6.