Healthy Recipe:

Recipe: Yellow lentils with spinach and ginger

  • High fiber = at least 5 g of fiber per serving
  • Healthy carb = whole fruits & vegetables, at least 50% whole grains and no more than 1 tsp of sugar per serving

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Dietitian's tip: Rice and lentils are mainstays in southern India, where pungent spices give distinction to many dishes. If you can't find the yellow lentils, use yellow split peas.

By Mayo Clinic staff
Serves 4

Ingredients

    1 teaspoon white or black sesame seeds
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 shallot, minced
    1 teaspoon ground ginger
    1/2 teaspoon curry powder
    1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
    1 cup yellow lentils, picked over, rinsed and drained
    1 1/2 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock or broth
    1/2 cup light coconut milk
    2 cups baby spinach leaves, stemmed and chopped, or 1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (fresh coriander)

Directions

Toast only the white sesame seeds before using. Place the sesame seeds in a small, dry saute or frying pan over medium heat. Cook briefly, shaking the pan often and watching carefully to prevent burning. Remove the seeds from the pan as soon as they begin to turn brown. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot, ginger, curry powder and turmeric and cook, stirring, until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the lentils, stock and coconut milk. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer until the lentils are tender but still firm, about 12 minutes. The mixture should be brothy; add a little water if needed.

Stir in the spinach, cover and simmer for about 3 minutes longer. The lentils should still hold their shape. Uncover and stir in the salt. Serve hot, garnished with the cilantro and toasted white or untoasted black sesame seeds.

Nutritional Analysis

(per serving)
Calories239 Monounsaturated fat3 g
Protein14 g Cholesterol0 mg
Carbohydrate36 g Sodium169 mg
Total fat5 g Fiber9 g
Saturated fat1 g   
Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid Servings Diabetes Meal Plan Exchanges Dash Eating Plan Servings

 

Source: This recipe is one of 150 recipes collected in The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook, published by Mayo Clinic Health Information and Oxmoor House, and winner of the 2005 James Beard award.

RE00062

Sept. 15, 2006

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