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Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen cookbook review, giveaway, and a recipe for Masala Lentils!

*Update 6/5/15: This giveaway has ended. Thanks to all who entered. The winners have been notified.*

I am so excited about today’s post! If you are in any way, shape or form interested in a plant based diet, I’m betting you’ve heard of Vegan Richa. I’ve been following her blog for years now and have always loved her recipes. On her blog, she posts not only Indian recipes, but creative and delicious plant based recipes of all variety. One of my favorites from the blog is her Masoor Dal Tadka. I seriously CRAVE that dish. Well, friends, Richa has written her first cookbook, Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen, Traditional and Creative Recipes for the Home Cook and it is a stunner! I’m excited to tell you all about it today, share Richa’s recipe for Masala Lentils and offer YOU a chance to WIN your very own copy of the cookbook! Keep reading!

Meet Richa

I “met” Richa in a Facebook group over a year ago and was lucky enough to become a recipe tester for her new cookbook. When I first started testing her recipes, I wasn’t very familiar with Indian cooking, aside from the few recipes I had tried from her blog. I admit I was a bit intimidated in the beginning, but I was excited about branching out and trying new cuisines. I am so glad I did!! Richa is honestly one of the nicest bloggers I have had the opportunity to chat with. She is personable, helpful, kind and welcoming and this really comes across in her book.

Richa, having learned to cook from her mom, gives a nod to traditional Indian cooking, but has created her recipes to be easy enough for even the most novice home cook. She does an amazing job of explaining all the spices, lentils, peas, beans, grains, flours, and other ingredients used in Indian cuisine, in the very beginning of the book. She uses ingredients readily available in most supermarkets whenever possible and offers up variations in most cases when not. I can honestly tell you that ANYONE can make these recipes! Let’s not forget that I have 3 kids running around, 2 of which are still pretty much reliant on me for most things of importance, all 5 of us with crazy schedules and yet I was getting these recipes on the table for easy weeknight meals!

Take a Peek Inside

There is no shortage of recipes in Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen. You’ll find everything from Breakfast (Mom’s Chickpea Flour Pancakes, Indian Spiced Milk Tea), Small Plates and Snacks (Street Style Tempeh Wraps, Potato Quinoa Patties), Sides and Dry Vegetable Curries (Spiced Cabbage Potatoes, Easy Curried Green Beans), Dals (Butternut Coconut Red Lentil Curry, South Indian Chickpea Eggplant Stew), One-Pot Meals and Casseroles (Makhani Vegetable Pot Pie, Lightly Spiced Yellow Lentils and Rice) to Main Dishes (Mango Curry Tofu, Potato Veggie Balls in a Garlic Fenugreek Sauce) and Desserts (Doughnuts Soaked in Sugar Syrup, Pistachio Spoon Fudge). She even has a chapter solely for Flatbreads (Puffy Restaurant-Style Naan, Gluten Free Chia Flatbreads) and one for Chutneys, Spice Blends and Basics (Quick Tamarind Date Chutney, Indian Chai Spice, Vegan Paneer). In addition to being vegan, many of the recipes are also soy-free, gluten-free, grain-free and nut-free and the recipes are marked as such.

Ok, my mouth is officially watering now. And just look at the gorgeous pictures! Richa did all the photos herself and they are just beautiful! They make you want to dive right into these dishes head first!

Masala Lentils Recipe from Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen Cookbook

If you are a seasoned foodie who enjoys Indian food regularly or if you are someone who sticks to what they know and has never tasted the flavors of Indian cuisine, you are going to love this new cookbook!

Richa was generous enough to let me share a recipe from her new book with you today. I had such a hard time choosing which one…sweet or savory?? In the end, I chose savory because as much as I love and adore her desserts (hello, Fudgy Cardamom Squares), it’s her savory recipes that I crave and keep me going back for more! So, before I give you all the details on how to WIN A COPY of Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen for yourself, please enjoy this delicious recipe for Masala Lentils.

Masala Lentils from Vegan Richa's Indian Kitchen Richa says, "If you want to impress someone with a dal, make it this one. Don't be afraid of the number of spices - it is quite simple to make. The spices and garlic are blended to a paste and fried in the oil. A hot sauce (chiles, garlic, and vinegar) in the tadka is another secret to getting the right flavor profile. Serve this as a part of a meal, or with rice or naan or other flatbread. Recipe from Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen Copyright © 2015 by Richa Hingle. Used by permission from Vegan Heritage Press, LLC 5 from 1 vote Print Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 50 minutes Servings: 4 Calories: 156 kcal Author: Jenn Sebestyen Ingredients 3/4 cup brown lentils (washed and drained) 3/4 cup brown lentils (washed and drained)

2 cups water 2 cups water

2 to 3 teaspoons safflower or other neutral oil 2 to 3 teaspoons safflower or other neutral oil

1/2 cup finely chopped red or white onion 1/2 cup finely chopped red or white onion

6 cloves garlic (chopped) 6 cloves garlic (chopped)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander 2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek leaves or 1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek leaves or 1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika 1 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons sriracha or other hot sauce (to taste) 1 1/2 tablespoons sriracha or other hot sauce (to taste)

2 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons water

1 1/2 cups chopped tomato 1 1/2 cups chopped tomato

3/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (for garnish) 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (for garnish)

1 tablespoon vegan butter (optional) 1 tablespoon vegan butter (optional) Instructions Combine the lentils with 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Partially cover and cook over medium heat until the lentils are tender, 25-30 minutes.

While the lentils are cooking, make the tempering. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes.

In a blender, combine the garlic, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, fenugreek, paprika, nutmeg, black pepper, sriracha, and 2 tablespoons of water. Blend to combine well. Add this paste to the onions in the skillet. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and salt, and cook until the tomatoes are tender, about 8 minutes. Mash the larger tomato pieces.

Add the tempering to the lentils. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and spice. Garnish with cilantro and vegan butter, if using, and serve hot. Nutrition Calories: 156 kcal | Carbohydrates: 17 g | Protein: 6 g | Fat: 6 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g | Sodium: 541 mg | Potassium: 419 mg | Fiber: 6 g | Sugar: 4 g | Vitamin A: 1100 IU | Vitamin C: 18.2 mg | Calcium: 20 mg | Iron: 0.5 mg Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today! Mention @Veggie_Inspired or tag #VeggieInspired

Win A Copy of Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen

Alright friends, now it’s your chance to get cooking from this amazing cookbook by WINNING YOUR VERY OWN COPY. One reader in the US will win a hard copy of Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen cookbook and one International reader will win a copy of Vegan Richa’s Bonus Recipe Bundle eBook (a few of my faves from the eBook: Sweet and Sour Chickpea Curry, Chili Almond Crusted Eggplant, Cardamom Infused Rice Pudding).

If you want to ensure yourself a copy of the cookbook (and who could blame you!), you can buy a hard copy HERE.

ALL ENTRANTS MUST SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL TO THIS BLOG, VEGGIE INSPIRED. ALL ENTRIES WILL BE VERIFIED. SUBSCRIBE LINK IS IN THE RIGHT SIDEBAR AND THE BOTTOM OF EVERY POST.

Click below to enter the giveaway. The giveaway will be open for one week and will close on Friday, June 5, 2015. Winners will be notified by e-mail. Good luck!

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More Vegan Recipes, With an Ethnic Flair, to Love:

Asian Lentil Burger Lettuce Wraps

Meatless Mexican Sloppy Joes

Coconut Curry Soup w/ Sweet Potato Noodles