South African-style Lentils
Last updated: Feb 09, 2015
By Lynn Grieger, RD, CDE, CPT for Summit Medical Group
Reviewed by Susan C. Canonico, RD

Try this delicious, healthy lentil dish as a substitute for a meat meal.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of dry lentils
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red pepper cut into thin slices
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of coriander
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon of curry powder
- 2 whole tomatoes, chopped
- 4 ounces of mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4" squares
- 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
Directions
- Rinse lentils in cold water and drain them.
- Add lentils to 6 cups of boiling water.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- Cover and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 60 to 90 minutes.
- Drain the lentils and set them aside.
- Heat oil in a nonstick saucepan.
- Saute onion, garlic, and red pepper until they are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients, stir thoroughly, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add lentils to the onion seasoning mixture.
- Heat through, stirring frequently.
- Serve with mozzarella squares.
- Garnish the top with cilantro.
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Serving Size 3/4 cup | |
Amount Per Serving | |
Calories 310 | Calories from Fat 60 |
% Daily Value * | |
Total Fat 7g | |
Saturated Fat 2.5g | 12% |
Trans Fat 0g | |
Cholesterol 15g | 5% |
Sodium 250g | 10% |
Total Carbohydrate 43g | 14% |
Dietary Fiber 16g | 64% |
Sugars 6g | |
Protein 22g | |
Vitamin A | 35% |
Vitamin C | 80% |
Calcium | 20% |
Iron | 35% |
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. |