You will love this creamy Crockpot Red Lentils Recipe With Onions, everything is thrown in slow cooker & you come home to a restaurant style dal! Simple, cheap and protein packed meal! Now Instant Pot version also included!
It snowed here ( finally!) and that made me crave comfort food. What can be more comforting that foods you grew up eating as a kid?! Growing up all sorts of dals (lentils) were a common affair during lunchtime but I was never into them. It used to be a big task for me to finish a bowl full of dal which was mandatory to eat at my place. My mom would tell me that once I finish my dal, I was free to snack on chips or sweets! I know the deal sounded pretty sweet but it was one task I hated every single day!
Now I realised that as I have grown older, my tastebuds have changed and some dals which I used to hate as a kid are among my favorite ones. What an irony! So today while it snowed outside and I enjoyed watching the trees get all covered with gorgeous white powder, I put some dal to cook in slow cooker. While slow cooker did it’s magic, I cleaned my closet which I have been wanting to clean for almost 4 months now! How I wish there was a magic wand which I could use for doing boring chores like these! Confession time – I hate hate doing laundry, folding clothes and keeping my closet clean which for some reason seems to go back to messy stage in no time at all! Face similar problem?! Virtual hug to you friend! <3
So for today’s recipe I used red lentils which I feel are often ignored. I never liked taste of red lentils when cooked plain but if you cook them this way and then add a generous tempering of onions and good squeeze of lime juice, you will end up licking your plates! Promise.
So as I was saying I added rinsed lentils, salt, turmeric powder, tomato puree, garlic-ginger paste and water in my slow cooker and let them cook on high for 3-4 hours (or you can cook them on low for 7-8 hours). Once the lentils were fully cooked and mushy, I tasted salt. I sliced some onions and chopped some fresh garlic and then cooked both in oil along with some cumin seeds. Then this amazing tempering was added over cooked lentils and everything heated up until nice and bubbly. Taste and add freshly chopped cilantro and good squeeze of lime! That’s it.
Some warm steamed rice and good heaping serving of these lentils was our lunch today and now I have some leftover’s left in fridge for tomorrow’s lunch and I can’t wait! I am already waiting to gobble up the lentils – they were so good, warm and so comforting!
I hope you make it and share it with your loved ones!
So go ahead and make this CROCKPOT OR INSTANT POT CREAMY RED LENTILS WITH ONIONS! If you make this, remember to tag us on social media by using #naivecookcooks . We will feature your pics on our SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS!
So go ahead and give this a try! If you make these or any other recipe from our blog, do tag us by using #naivecookcooks on social media channels.
If you enjoyed this recipe, don’t forget to FOLLOW me on INSTAGRAM ||FACEBOOK||PINTEREST||TWITTER ||GOOGLE+ || BLOGLOVIN || YouTube
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
- ½ cup tomato puree ( canned or if using fresh tomatoes I used 1.5 roma tomatoes)
- 4.5 cups water
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1-2 tsp red chili powder or as per taste
- ½ tbsp garlic paste
- ¼ tbsp ginger paste
- ½ red onion, sliced thin
- 4-5 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 4 garlic cloves
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- Finely chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime juice
- Steamed rice or naan for serving
- Add all the ingredients under crockpot red lentils recipe in slow cooker and cover. Turn on the slow cooker on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
- Once lentils are completely cooked and mushy, taste and adjust salt.
- Transfer the lentils to a pot.
- Heat oil in a small deep pot. Once hot, add cumin seeds and wait until they start to pop. Be careful as they might sometimes pop out of the pot. Once they start to pop, add sliced onions and chopped garlic and saute for 5-7 minutes until onion and garlic is cooked and raw smell is gone.
- Turn off the gas and add red chili powder to this hot mix and stir. Immediately add this tempering to lentils.
- Mix and bring tempered lentils to boil.
- Taste and add freshly chopped cilantro .
- Serve with good squeeze of lime over rice or with naan!
Leftovers stay good stored in sealed container in fridge for 2-3 days! They are great for lunch or dinner! Since lentils have tendency to absorb water, when you heat it up make sure to add little water and adjust salt as per taste!
- Instant pot Red Lentils Recipe :
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed (4.7 oz) (137gms)
- ½ cup tomato puree ( canned or if using fresh tomatoes I used 1.5 roma tomatoes)
- 2.5 cups water
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1-2 tsp red chili powder or as per taste
- ½ tbsp garlic paste
- ¼ tbsp ginger paste
- Tempering:
- ½ red onion, sliced thin
- 4-5 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 4 garlic cloves
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- Extras:
- Finely chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime juice
- Steamed rice or naan for serving
- Instant pot Red Lentils Recipe :
- Add all the ingredients under Instant pot red lentils recipe in Instant Pot and put the lid on. Turn on theHIGH PRESSURE setting for 12 minutes & let it release naturally.
- Once lentils are completely cooked and mushy, taste and adjust salt.
- Transfer the lentils to a pot.
- Tempering:
- Heat oil in a small deep pot. Once hot, add cumin seeds and wait until they start to pop. Be careful as they might sometimes pop out of the pot. Once they start to pop, add sliced onions and chopped garlic and saute for 5-7 minutes until onion and garlic is cooked and raw smell is gone.
- Turn off the gas and add red chili powder to this hot mix and stir. Immediately add this tempering to lentils.
- Mix and bring tempered lentils to boil.
- Taste and add freshly chopped cilantro .
- Serve with good squeeze of lime over rice or with naan!
Leftovers stay good stored in sealed container in fridge for 2-3 days! They are great for lunch or dinner! Since lentils have tendency to absorb water, when you heat it up make sure to add little water and adjust salt as per taste!
3.5.3208
Some more delicious LENTIL recipes ->>
They look so healthy! I’m definitely trying them in the weekend 🙂 Great share Ami… 🙂
Oh my! This soup looks and sounds like a perfect healthy, easy, weeknight dinner!