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    Home » Recipes » Dinner

    Published: May 27, 2016 · Modified: Apr 14, 2020 by Melanie McDonald · This post contains affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 17 Comments

    Keema Lentils

    JUMP TO RECIPE PIN
    5 from 4 votes
    These spicy & flavourful Indian style Keema Lentils are ridiculously easy to make. Cook in a pan for a speedy dinner or use a slow cooker for a more leisurely approach

    These spicy & flavourful Indian style Keema Lentils are ridiculously easy to make. Cook in a pan for a speedy dinner or use a slow cooker for a more leisurely approach.

    These spicy & flavourful Indian style Keema Lentils are ridiculously easy to make. Cook in a pan for a speedy dinner or use a slow cooker for a more leisurely approach. Serve with my simple & refreshing cucumber raita & some rice for a delicious & satisfying meal.

    It's no secret that I love spicy food and in my pre-vegan days I used to love to order the Keema dishes from our local Indian restaurant. As Keema literally means 'minced or ground meat', it's not a particularly vegan friendly dish and it's pretty unlikely that you will find a meat-free version in any restaurant.

    Green lentils are a very good meat substitute as you will know if you have tried my Lentil Shepherd's Pie or Vegan Meatloaf. It was these two dishes that gave me the inspiration to create my own take on a Keema recipe.

    In this recipe, green lentils are cooked with a mixture of spices, onions, lots of garlic and broth. The liquid mostly evaporates off during cooking which concentrates the flavours beautifully. The resulting Keema Lentils are absolutely packed with flavour and have a lovely hit of fiery chili.

    These spicy & flavourful Indian style Keema Lentils are ridiculously easy to make. Cook in a pan for a speedy dinner or use a slow cooker for a more leisurely approach. Serve with my simple & refreshing cucumber raita & some rice for a delicious & satisfying meal.

    My Keema Lentils can be cooked in a pan on the hob or in a slow cooker. You can choose whichever method suits your lifestyle the best. The results are almost identical except that in the slow cooker it is a little harder to evaporate the liquid off completely so you might end up with lentils that are a little more moist than they would be if cooked in a pan. I use both methods regularly and which I choose comes down to how busy my day is looking and how late I have to work.

    This recipe serves four hungry people and any leftovers will keep well for up to five days in the fridge. You will find that the flavours just keep on developing and it gets better and better the longer it sits. It also freezes very well. The leftovers can be served with more rice and raita, or they are great served with some flat bread or naan bread for a quick and easy lunch. Cauliflower rice is also great to serve with this dish is you are trying to limit your carbs.

    I love my food extra hot and spicy so I topped my Keema Lentils with a sprinkling of raw sliced chillies. They make it look really pretty when serving but some fresh cilantro leaves also add a pop of colour if you don't want to add any extra heat.

    I really hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we have. If you make it please hit the stars to rate it and leave me some feedback below. You can also tag me @avirtualvegan on Instagram or send me a picture. I love to see your versions of my recipes!

    Keema Lentils

    Author: Melanie McDonald
    5 from 4 votes
    These spicy & flavourful Indian style Keema Lentils are ridiculously easy to make. Cook in a pan for a speedy dinner or use a slow cooker for a more leisurely approach. Serve with some rice for a delicious & satisfying meal.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved!
    PREP TIME: 5 minutes
    COOK TIME: 25 minutes
    TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
    Servings: 4

    Ingredients
      

    For the Keema Lentils

    • 1 large onion , chopped finely
    • 3 tablespoons fresh ginger , grated
    • 6 cloves garlic , chopped finely
    • 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
    • 2 teaspoons garam masala - you can use curry powder instead if that's all you have
    • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
    • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
    • 3 cups cooked green lentils (see recipe note if you wish to use dried green lentils)
    • 360mls | 1.5 cup good vegetable or mushroom broth/stock
    • 2 tablespoons Tamari (can be subbed for soy sauce)
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon pepper

    To serve

    • Cilantro for sprinkling (optional)
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    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Saute the onion in a pan over a medium heat until translucent. I just used a dry pan but you could use a drop of water or oil of choice,
    • Once translucent add the ginger and garlic and carry on cooking for about two minutes stirring occasionally.
    • Add the spices and chili flakes and cook for about a minute, stirring them continuously to stop them sticking.
    • Add the lentils, broth, Tamari and seasoning.
    • Stir well and cook uncovered until most of the liquid has evaporated (about 10 - 15 minutes). Stir every so often to ensure they don't stick.
    • Serve with rice and a scattering of cilantro.

    Slow cooker method

    • Put all of the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 4 - 5 hours or until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
    • When you start cooking your rice take the lid off the slow cooker to let some of the liquid evaporate.

    NOTES

    It is possible to cook this recipe with dried green lentils. Use 1.5 slightly heaped cups of dried lentils and increase the broth to 4 cups. If cooking in a pan on the hob the cooking time will increase by about 25 mins. If cooking in the slow cooker it will take around the same time, 4 - 5 hours or until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

    NUTRITION

    Serving: 1servingsCalories: 206kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 15gFat: 0.9gSodium: 707mgFiber: 10gSugar: 2gVitamin C: 8.3mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 5.9mg

    Nutritional information is provided for convenience. The data is a computer generated estimate and should be used as a guide only.

    Tried this recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @avirtualvegan on Instagram and hashtag it #avirtualvegan

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Carol Kirk says

      May 28, 2020 at 12:13 pm

      Hi, Mel, I don’ t have any lentils in the pantry, but I do have a bag of tiny matpe beans that I’ve used for another recipe. We love lentils, but could I try these beans as a substitute for now? If so, are there any changes you would recommend? Thanks !

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        May 28, 2020 at 2:13 pm

        Hi Carol. I have never seen or heard of matpe beans until now, so have never cooked with them and I don't know what they taste like. That makes it a bit hard for me to answer. Lentils are the best option for this recipe. If the matpe beans taste beany then it probably won't be as nice with them. The only thing you might need to change if you use them is the amount of liquid added. Whether it would be more or less I can't say. It depends how much they absorb. And if you up the liquid you might need to up the spices/seasoning too. Sorry I can't be more helpful!

        Reply
    2. Sarah says

      January 06, 2019 at 12:53 pm

      5 stars
      I made these today and they are lovely. Plan to try using your suggestions for the slow cooker too. Thank you for a lovely recipe.

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        January 06, 2019 at 4:23 pm

        I'm so pleased you enjoyed it Sarah!

        Reply
    3. Andrea says

      May 19, 2018 at 8:17 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for a couple of friends this evening. It was a huge hit with vegans and meat eaters alike. It is flavoured just like the beef keema we sometimes have. The only suggestion my friends had was to add green peas at the end of cooking next time.

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        May 20, 2018 at 10:45 am

        So glad you all enjoyed it Andrea. Green peas are a great addition!

        Reply
    4. Robin says

      April 14, 2018 at 7:22 pm

      5 stars
      Just made this in my Instant Pot and served over brown rice. Delicious and just the right amount of heat!

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        April 15, 2018 at 10:25 am

        Great to know it works well in an Instant Pot. I'll try that next time I make it! Glad you enjoyed it Robin :)

        Reply
    5. Roberta says

      July 17, 2017 at 11:34 am

      The recipe sounds interesting, but I can't find the ingredient list for the raita.

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        July 17, 2017 at 2:41 pm

        I actually removed the raita part of the recipe but must have missed a bit when I was deleting it which is why you were seeing the directions but no ingredients. I started to realize that readers were put off by recipes with really long ingredients lists so I thought I'd shorten this up a bit by just leaving the keema lentils. I'm really sorry about that! If you wanted to try it, it was just basically a cashew cream (cashews blended with some plant-based milk) with a touch of vinegar for some sourness, salt to taste and lots of chopped fresh mint, cilantro and cucumber stirred through.

        Reply
    6. Dan says

      September 17, 2016 at 3:23 pm

      Do you know how I would adjust the recipe in the slow cooker if using uncooked lentils?

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        September 17, 2016 at 3:35 pm

        Hi Dan. I have never cooked them like that so I am not completely sure. They do absorb liquid as they are cooking though so you would definitely need more liquid than stated in the recipe. If it were me I would go for an extra cup of broth and make sure I was around in the last few hours so I could add a little more if necessary. If you want the recipe to come out exactly as mine did I would suggest cooking the lentils first. They don't take long at all to cook in boiling water. Probably about 30 minutes. Hope that helps :O)

        Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        September 17, 2016 at 4:06 pm

        I forgot to say too that I would go for the full 4 hours on high or 7 on low if the lentils were uncooked. They shouldn't need any longer than that.

        Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        October 04, 2016 at 7:57 pm

        Hi Dan, I just wanted to let you know that I tried this in my slow cooker with dried lentils today and it worked really well. I have amended the recipe to show my findings but basically you just need to use 1.5 cups of dried lentils and 4 cups of broth. Everything else remains the same, even the cooking time.

        Reply
        • Dan says

          October 06, 2016 at 10:54 am

          Thanks for the update. I hope to be able to try it this weekend!

          Reply
    7. Emily says

      May 31, 2016 at 9:23 pm

      Making these tonight for dinner! The lentils look divine! Yummy! :)

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        May 31, 2016 at 10:00 pm

        Thanks Emily. Let me know what you think!

        Reply

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