Green Lentil Curry

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
• 1 garlic clove (mashed to a paste)
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 0.25 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 small shallot (minced)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste mixed with of water
• 1.25 cups dried green lentils
• 0.25 teaspoon ground turmeric
• water
• 4 ounces green beans (cut into 3/-inch lengths)
• 4 ounces kale (stemmed and leaves finely chopped)
• 1 medium carrot (thinly sliced)
• 1 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt

Steps

1. In a small bowl, combine the ginger, garlic, coriander, and ground cumin. Stir in 1/4 cup of water to make a paste. In a small skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds and cook over moderately high heat for 5 seconds, just until sizzling. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the spice paste and let cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until thick, about 1 minute longer.
2. In a saucepan, combine the lentils with the turmeric and 5 cups of water; bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, until the lentils are barely tender. Add the green beans, kale, carrot, three-fourths of the cilantro, and the cayenne; season with salt. Cook until the lentils and vegetables are tender, 15 minutes. Scrape in the spice paste and the remaining cilantro. Simmer for 5 minutes, then serve.