Dal Makhani (Creamy Black Lentils)

I've recently gotten into cooking Indian food. For a while, I thought that cooking high quality Indian dishes at home would require too many obscure ingredients I could only find on Devon Street, but I've discovered that just owning the right spices is enough to make some great dishes. Probably nothing I post here could be considered authentic, but you can actually make this in your own kitchen. For my Dal Makhani, I took a pretty major short cut by buying precooked lentils at Trader Joe's. As a result, this Dal Makhani only takes about a half hour to make.

Dal Makhani
Serves 4-6


1 box Trader Joe's steamed lentils
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 of an onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup half and half
Salt and pepper


1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in large saucepan. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic and saute 1 minutes. Be careful not to burn garlic.
3. Add chili powder, ginger, cumin, turmeric, and red pepper and saute one minute more.
4. Add tomato paste and vigorously mix to combine.
5. Add pre-cooked lentils to tomato sauce. Cook about 10 minutes.
6. Reduce heat to low, add half and half and cook 5 minutes more.
7. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

I served the Dal Makhani with rice and Aloo Mutter

Murgh Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)

I know this is called butter chicken, but my version only calls for a tablespoon of butter. A dash of half and half and a cup of non fat yogurt give this dish it's creaminess. In true Cooking Flexitairan fashion, this dish can be prepared with the chicken in only half the sauce or without chicken at all. I served this murgh makhani with aloo mutter and basmati rice.

Murgh Makhani
Serves 4

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 of an onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 chicken breast, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup frozen peas
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons half and half
1 cup non fat plain yogurt
Salt and pepper

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in large saucepan. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic and saute 1 minutes. Be careful not to burn garlic.
3. Add chili powder, ginger, cumin, turmeric, and red pepper and saute one minute more.
4. Add lemon juice and butter and saute one minute.
5. Add tomato sauce and bring to a simmer.
6. Reduce heat to low. Add half and half and yogurt. Cook until thickened, about 15 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes.
8. Add several tablespoons of sauce to chicken and cook through, about 5 minutes more.
9. Meanwhile, add peas to sauce and cook about 10 minutes.
10. Add chicken to peas and sauce and cook 5 minutes more.
11. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Aloo Mutter (Indian Potatoes and Peas)

About a year ago, I finally went out and purchased all the Indian spices, like turmeric and coriander, that were missing from my kitchen. Not surprisingly, having the right spices made my Indian cooking taste much more authentic. Indian food is a wonderful option for vegetarians and plenty of meat eaters also love vegetarian dishes like this aloo mutter. Stay tuned for the creamy chicken dish I also served with this recipe.

Aloo Mutter

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 of an onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 russet potatoes
1 cup frozen peas
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1 tablespoon tomato sauce
1 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper
Fresh cilantro

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in large saucepan. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic and saute 1 minutes. Be careful not to burn garlic.
3. Add ginger, cumin, turmeric, coriander, and red pepper and saute one minute more.
4. Add tomato sauce, 1 cup chicken broth, and 1 cup hot water. Bring to a boil.
5. Add potatoes and cover. Cook over medium heat, about 15 minutes.
6. Add frozen peas. Cover and cook over medium heat about 10 minutes more. If potatoes aren't done, add another cup of hot water and continue cooking, covering sauce pan.
8. Add generous salt and pepper.

7. Top with fresh cilantro and serve. 

Sweet Potatoes, Lentils, and Mango Chutney

This healthy, fresh Indian dinner is full of flavor. I avoid using the traditional Indian clarified butter, ghee, and replace it with olive oil for a dinner much lighter than found in an Indian restaurant.

Mango Chutney
Serves 2

1 mango, diced
1/4 cup raisins
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon allspice

1. Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan.
2. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a bit of water if fruit starts sticking to the pan.


Indian Lentils
Serves 2


1/4 of a white onion, diced
1/2 cup lentils
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1. Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat.
2. Add onion and cook 5-10 minutes, until onions are translucent.
3. Add broth and bring to a boil.
4. Add lentils and spices. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.
5. If lentils are not done cooking, add more water and continue simmering. Serve with rice when lentils are soft.


Spiced Honey Sweet Potatoes
Serves 2

1 sweet potato
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ginger.

1. Cut sweet potatoes into thick rounds. Do not remove peal.
2. Combine sweet potatoes with other ingredients.
3. Roast at 400 degrees about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Roasted Chickpeas

When I was making this, I had the heat up so high the chickpeas started to pop in the pan. This is an easy, healthy side dish with a lot of flavor.

Roasted Chickpeas
Serves 2

1 can chickpeas, drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
Rice, for serving

1. Heat olive oil over high heat.
2. Add chickpeas and spices and cook 20 minutes.
3. Serve with rice.

Yellow Pepper and Basil Naan Flatbread

Gorgeous color combination and tangy flavor make for a great dish. Naan is a Indian flatbread that is available at most major supermarkets.

Yellow Pepper and Basil Naan Flatbread
Serves 2-4 

2 pieces of naan

4 ounces feta cheese
1 yellow pepper, diced
1/4 a red onion, diced
1 small bunch of basil, shredded
1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Drizzle olive oil on naan.
2. Top with feta, yellow pepper, and red onion.
3. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
4. Remove from oven, top with basil.