Indian-Style Sweet Potato and Lentil Stew

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, minced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pinches red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala
• 1 cup lentils
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 1 pinch salt to taste

Step 1

Gently heat some olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic, and cook them until they’re soft and fragrant, about 2 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes, turmeric, and garam masala, stirring everything together so the spices coat the onions nicely—this should take another couple of minutes.

Step 2

Pour in the lentils and broth, give it a good stir, and bring the mixture up to a boil. Once it’s boiling, lower the heat, cover the pot, and let it simmer until the lentils are tender but still have a little bite, which usually takes around 15 minutes.

Step 3

Then, add the sweet potatoes to the pot. Bring the stew back to a gentle boil, reduce the heat again, cover, and let it simmer until the sweet potatoes are soft and the lentils are fully cooked—about 10 minutes or so. Finally, toss in the spinach and cook just until it wilts, about 3 to 5 minutes. Give everything a taste and season with salt to your liking before serving.