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Vaibhavi Doshi
Amateur cook, nutritionist, food bloger, passion for cooking, baking.....

Quick Healthy vegan meal: Indian style Lentil Bolognese with Couscous

I am sure you guys must be confused, how can lentil Bolognese be Indian?? Well it’s my version of Lentil Bolognese. Traditionally Bolognese is a meat based sauce originating from Bologna, Italy. It’s usually served over a bed of spaghetti or pasta, and the vegetarian version of it is the lentil Bolognese which I decided to give a twist by making the Indian version. (Well putting my Indian roots to use…)

In India lentils are accompanied with mostly all the meals. Different types of lentils are prepared in varied styles, and normally accompanied with rice,Rotis, naan, or bread. Well instead of pasta or spaghetti I took the healthy route and decided to have couscous with the lentil Bolognese. It still tasted awesome.

Brown lentils or Whole masoor dal is very easy to prepare and not to forget it’s nutritional value, being high in protein, fiber and naturally gluten free. What more do you want…. If you are on a gluten free diet you can have quinoa instead of couscous.

As I prefer to make meals in a jiffy I took the shortcut and cooked the lentils in the pressure cooker. You can cook the lentils whichever way you prefer,the traditional way or take the shortcut like me 😉

I hope you guys enjoy this Indian version of lentil Bolognese… Do let me know how does it turn out to be.

Indian Style Lentil Bolognese with Couscous

Prep time 10 mins

Cooking time 30 mins

Serves 2

Ingredients

1/2 cup of brown lentils or whole masoor dal

1/2 red onion

1 tomato chopped

1–2 green chilies

1/2 tbsp oil

A pinch of asafoetida

1 dried bay leaf

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tbsp minced ginger

1/2 tbsp minced garlic.

1/2 tsp of red chili powder/ paprika

1/2 tsp of coriander cumin seeds powder

1/4 tsp of turmeric powder

1/4 tsp Garam masala

Salt to taste

1 cup of couscous

Method

  • Wash and soak the lentil for 1 to 2 hours. You can also pressure cook the lentil for four whistles.
  • Slice the onion, chop the tomato, cilantro and slit the green chillies
  • Heat oil in a saucepan and add the cumin seeds and the bay leaf.
  • Once the seeds crackle add the asafoetida,the sliced onions and the green chillies
  • Now add the minced ginger and garlic and cook till the onions turn light brown.
  • Add tomato, red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, mix well, cover and cook till the tomatoes gets mashed up with regular stirring.
  • Strain the lentils and add in to the saucepan. Add around 1 to 1.5 cups of water or veg broth, cover and cook till the lentil is cooked for around 20 to 30 mins. If using pressure cooked lentil then you won’t need such a long time for the lentils to cook.
  • Add salt and Garam masala and cook until the desired thickness is achieved.
  • Place the couscous in a bowl and pour 1 cup of boiling water. Close the lid and let it sit for ten minutes until all the water has been absorbed. Fluff up the grains using a fork.
  • Serve the hot lentil Bolognese over the bed of couscous.
  • Sprinkle some chopped cilantro on top and Enjoy!!!!

Nutrient value per serving

Calories 223

Carbs 34.4 gms

Proteins 9.7 gms

Fat 4.4 gms

Weight watchers points : 6

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