A vegan dish that's brimming with well spiced Indian flavors, a creamy coconut sauce, and it's perfectly hearty and filling thanks to the fiber and protein-rich lentils. Recipe makes about 6 cups.
To a small bowl add coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika, pepper, fennel, mustard powder, cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne pepper, set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and saute until golden brown, about 7 to 8 minutes.
Add garlic and ginger and saute 1 to 2 minutes longer.
Pour spices from bowl into pot and saute 30 seconds.
Pour in broth, tomatoes, coconut milk, lentils and fenugreek. Season with salt to taste (add a little less than you want because sauce will reduce and saltiness will become more concentrated, I start with just 1/4 tsp).
Bring mixture to a simmer. Then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 35 minutes. Preferably stir once halfway through.
Remove lid and continue to simmer until lentils are tender, about 5 minutes longer.
Serve warm garnished with cilantro (it pairs well with naan or basmati rice).
Notes
*To crush the fennel seeds I place in a small resealable bag and crush with a meat mallet. Another option is to chop them.**If you don't have fenugreek on hand you can substitute 2 bay leaves left whole (and removing them at the end of cooking). While they have a much different flavor it's still a delicious option for this curry to build up flavor.