In 1998, Susan and Jason trekked the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal, a 100-mile, two-week village-to-village hike through the Himalayas to places inaccessible by vehicles. We hired a porter to guide us, a college student in Kathmandu named Krishna, who did so much more than carry our pack and navigate the route. He was our guide to the people, culture, and food.
Each day, Krishna would give us our instructions where to meet him, then head off ahead of us to the next village. By the time we arrived at the designated tea house, he had booked our room, left our pack inside, eaten his dinner and ordered ours, and we would find him playing cards and drinking tea or something stronger with our new hosts, who would welcome us to their table like old friends.
We never saw a menu, dinner was the same every night—Dal Bhat. A scoop of white rice smothered with lentils in a curry broth, usually served with pickled cauliflower, spicy bitter greens, and boiled potatoes. Refills were unlimited, and we stuffed ourselves nightly. Other travelers we met along the way were soon following Krishna to the best tea houses for local food.
After two weeks of nothing but lentils, we realized that we felt incredibly good, if a little bored. A steady diet of lentils gave us consistent energy and strength. It also made us connoisseurs—we often discussed which tea houses had the tastiest versions, and Krishna would explain the different spices and types of lentils used.
When we returned home, we tried to replicate our favorite dal bhat, and made significant changes along the way, choosing green lentils instead of the mushier yellow, adding the side vegetables right into the dish. It’s always a little different, and no Nepali would recognize it as theirs. But the recipe below has become a weekly staple for fast, easy, tasty and cheap dinner. To this day, it makes me feel healthy and strong every time I eat it.
Green Lentil Stew
Ingredients
- 3 or 4 Chicken thighs OR Italian sausages optional
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1/4 tsp Ginger
- 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 cups Green lentils
- 2 Carrots, diced optional. You can use cauliflower or any veggie too.
- 4 cups Chicken stock
- 1 cup Water
- 1/2 lb Spinach, chopped
- 1 Fresh Tomato, diced optional garnish
Instructions
- Use a deep sauté pan to brown chicken thighs in olive oil. (If using sausages, remove the casings and break up the meat while browning.)
- When browned but not totally cooked through, remove the chicken to a plate. Allow to cool, then chop or pull, as preferred. (If using sausages, ok to leave in pan.)
- Add onions to the pan and sauté until translucent, then add all the spices and mix well.
- Add the lentils and carrots and combine well. Cook for about a minute.
- Add a bit of the stock to deglaze the pan. Once there is nothing stuck to the bottom, add all the stock. Cover and simmer 5 minutes.
- Add the spinach, and as much water as needed to ensure lentils are covered. Cover the pan and simmer another 15 minutes, checking every 5 minutes to stir and add water if needed.
- Lentils are ready when they reach the desired softness. Some people like them al dente, others like them mushy, even soupy. Serve over plain white rice, and top with chopped fresh tomatoes, if you like.