Lamb and Red Lentil Curry

Ever since receiving my new Crock-Pot VersaWear ETC slow cooker for my birthday, I have been wanting to try it out. Yesterday I finally did.

I made up this recipe using ingredients I had on hand. I just took a shot on the amounts, and wrote them down as I proceeded. It turned out really well. So I thought I would share it with you.

I must give credit to Alison for inspiring me to play with my food.

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ pound ground lamb (cubed would work, too)
1 cup red lentils
½ large white onion coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic sliced thin
2 Tbsp mild curry powder
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can fat-free chicken broth
1 can lite coconut milk
2 Tbsp Partak's Mild Curry Paste
Sea salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste

All you really need to do is add the ingredients (save the olive oil) to the crock pot and cook on high for at least 4 hours. But I did it a bit differently.

The ground lamb I had was frozen, so I took the VersaWear Crock and placed it on the stove over high heat (DO NOT do this with a traditional slow cooker. It only works with the new VersaWear Crock-Pot), with the tablespoon of olive oil and thawed and browned the lamb, breaking is up as it browned.

After it was browned, I drained it, leaving about 1 Tbsp of the drippings in the pot. I then added the sliced garlic and allowed it to soften for a minute or two.

I then placed the Crock-Pot back in its cradle and added the remaining ingredients and set the temperature to high.

I will admit that I added a cup or two of water to the mix, thinking that the lentils might absorb a lot of the liquid, but this wasn't necessary. If after adding everything, the solid ingredients are not covered, add a bit more chicken broth to cover.

Cook on high for 4 hours. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. You will probably want to add some salt and pepper at this time.

If it is not thick enough for your liking, transfer to a large pan and bring to a boil on the stove and reduce to desired thickness. I had to do this since I had mistakenly added water at the beginning. Thankfully, this new Crock-Pot can be placed directly on the stove top. That made it very easy.

Like I said, don't use any more liquid than you absolutely have to in the beginning. This will save a lot of time.

Serve over Basmati rice. Makes approximately 8 servings.

And here is what it looks like when plated.