No joke, it's creamy and nutty- all in 1 pot!

Welcome to my nth curry recipe! Seriously, I don't think I'll ever get tired of eating AND making them. Curries are just so rich, creamy, warm, and filling and I love the fact that they're easy and quick to make (well, the shortcut versions anyway). 

I love curries that are quite thick. My main thickeners are the coconut milk/cream and the starches of the veggies I put in. If I find that the curry I'm making is thin depite the coconut milk/cream and veggies, my last resort would be adding a bit of cornstarch. In today's recipe, however, there's a new thickener that I think is genius: peanut butter. I know right?? Peanut freaking butter. I know it sounds like a weird combo but trust me, it's such a game changer when it comes to curries. I don't think this is a traditional way of making curry but it's totally fine with me because peanut butter just makes the dish different but oh so tasty.

As with most curries, we still have coconut milk and an array of spices and aromatics. With veggies, I decided to experiment with a new one for me: lentils. I've never tried lentils with anything before so when I saw that the recipe can either use chickpeas or lentils, I immediately went with lentils. And whaddya know, lentils aren't that bad at all! I totally thought I'd hate it but honestly, lentils are pretty much like mung beans to me in terms of texture and taste. I used canned brown lentils with this recipe but I think other types of lentils can be used as well. And if lentils aren't enough, feel free to chuck in chickpeas.

This peanutty curry is new to me but definitely a hit. It's warm and comforting and filling, plus this recipe is a potful- perfect for meal prep! Pair it with rice, quinoa, or naan and serve it hot. Ahh, my kind of comfort food.

PS. I swear this dish looks more yellow-orange in real life!! Don't know why the sauce looks pale even after adjusting some settings in Photoshop. Argh!

Lentils and Carrots in Peanut Butter Curry

(adapted from: VeganRicha.com)

Yield: 3

1 medium onion, quartered

4 cloves garlic

1 inch of ginger, sliced in big chunks

1 tsp oil

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne (depending on your spice tolerance)

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

3/4 c coconut milk

1/2 c water

3 tbsp creamy peanut butter

1 medium red bell pepper, sliced into cubes

1 medium carrot, sliced into sticks

1 can of lentils (or 1 - 1 1/2 cup cooked lentils), drained and rinsed

1 tsp sugar (or more)

1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt *

1 tsp lime or calamansi juice

optional: additional veggies (I added peas here)

1. In a food processor, pulse onion, garlic, and ginger. They should look really minced, about to look paste-like with no big chunks in sight. Set aside. Alternatively, you can just mince each ingredient really finely.

2. In a small bowl, combine cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cayenne. Mix and set aside.

3. In a pan, heat up oil then add in spice mix. Saute until fragrant.

4. Add in the minced/paste-like garlic/onion/ginger blend and turmeric. Cook until fragrant.

5. Add in coconut milk, water, and peanut butter. Stir until peanut butter is melted and let it come up to a boil.

6. Once it starts boiling, add in all the veggies that needs cooking. In this case, carrots and bell peppers.

7. After it starts boiling again, add in already cooked veggies: lentils and peas. Season with salt and sugar, adjusting according to preference. Bring to a boil.

8. Once veggies are cooked according to preference, turn of heat and add in lime or calamansi juice. Serve with rice, quinoa, couscous, or naan.

NOTE:

*Amount of salt will mostly depend on your peanut butter and amount of liquid. Adjust accordingly.