Delicious Spicy Lentils and Spinach - a perfect meal for Meatless Mondays! Even non-vegetarians will love this recipe. Lentils are not only affordable but also a fantastic source of protein and fiber. I always keep different varieties in my pantry; red lentils for soups and daal, and chunkier lentils like brown or green lentils as a substitute for ground meat in recipes.
This spicy lentils and spinach dish features common curry spices and a mix of vegetables to add flavour and nutrients. Feel free to customize by adding sweet potato or butternut squash for a touch of natural sweetness.
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Calories in Spicy Lentils and Spinach
This Spicy Lentils and Spinach serves 4 and is 225 per serving
If you're looking for more recipes within the same calorie range, you'll find an abundance of options in my dedicated collection of 200+ calorie recipes.
If you're following a calorie-controlled diet or a healthy eating plan, it's important to calculate your daily calorie intake using a reliable calorie calculator. Please note that the calorie counts provided are estimates and can vary based on specific ingredients and serving sizes. Personalizing your calculations is essential to meet your individual needs. By using a calorie calculator, you can make informed choices and stay on track with your dietary goals.
Ingredients Needed
Here are some notes on the ingredients used in this recipe:
- Onion: Adds sweetness and depth of flavoyr to the dish when sautéed, forming the base of many curries and stews.
- Garlic: Provides a pungent and aromatic flavour that complements the other spices and ingredients, enhancing the overall taste of the dish.
- Ginger: Adds warmth and a subtle spicy flavour, contributing to the complex flavour profile of the dish.
- Carrots: Bring sweetness and texture to the dish, along with a boost of nutrients such as vitamins and fibre.
- Courgette (Zucchini): Adds a mild flavour and tender texture to the dish, as well as additional fibre and vitamins.
- Green or brown lentils: Serve as the protein-rich base of the dish, providing substance and heartiness. They also absorb flavours well.
- Passata: A smooth tomato sauce that adds richness, acidity, and depth of flavour to the dish, creating a saucy consistency.
- Fresh spinach: Adds vibrant colour, freshness, and a nutritious boost to the dish, wilting down during cooking.
- Green chillis (sliced in half lengthways): Bring heat and spice to the dish. Adjust the quantity according to personal preference for spiciness.
- Ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, and garam masala: A blend of aromatic spices that adds depth, warmth, and complexity to the dish, enhancing its flavour profile with earthy, citrusy, and fragrant notes.
- Salt and black pepper: These basic yet essential flavour enhancers are key for elevating the taste of your dishes. No food will ever be bland when these are used to season to taste.
- Low-calorie spray: Used for sautéing and cooking the ingredients, providing a lighter alternative to oil or butter.
- Fat-Free Natural Yoghurt (optional): Used to serve and Adds creaminess and a cooling contrast to the spicy flavours of the dish.
- Fresh Coriander: Adds a pop of freshness and herbaceous flavour as a garnish, enhancing the visual appeal of the dish.
Once you've gathered all the ingredients and prepared them accordingly, you're all set to create this easy and delightful recipe.
See the recipe card for specific quantities and instructions.
Top Tip
Use a mini food processor to finely chop the vegetables in this recipe. It's a great way of hiding them in a dish, especially if you have fussy eaters in your household. The finely chopped vegetables blend seamlessly into the lentils, adding nutrition and flavour without compromising the texture.
Cooking in a Pressure Cooker
If you haven't discovered the Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi (Pressure Cookers) yet, you're missing out on a transformative kitchen gadget that's become a staple in my routine, offering diverse functionalities for a range of dishes. Whether you're slow cooking, pressure cooking, sautéing, or making soups, chili, rice, porridge, or even yogurt, a pressure cooker handles it with ease.
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I adore preparing recipes in my pressure cooker when I'm in a hurry. This recipe is super easy and quick to make too. You just brown the base ingredients using the saute function and then set to high pressure and cook for 10 minutes. Once it has finished cooking, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure, and voilà, it's done.
Sides for Spicy Lentils and Spinach
Add a delicious twist to your meal with these delightful side dishes that perfectly complement our spicy lentils.
- Plain Rice: Fluffy white or brown rice serves as a classic and comforting accompaniment to the spicy lentils.
- Pilau Rice: If you prefer a more flavoured rice, check out this Sweet Corn Pilau Rice and Courgette Pilau Rice
- Greek Yogurt Garlic Naan: Enjoy the indulgent contrast of soft, garlic-infused naan bread alongside our spicy lentils. Perfect for scooping up every flavourful bite!
- Roasted Cauliflower Rice: For a lower-carb alternative, cauliflower rice is an excellent choice. Roasting the Cauliflower rice adds a nutritious and flavourful component to the meal, while keeping it lighter and lower in carbohydrates.
- Minty Cucumber Raita: A cooling and refreshing condiment made with grated cucumber, fresh mint leaves, and yogurt, seasoned with cumin, salt, and a pinch of sugar. The creamy and tangy raita helps to balance the heat of the lentils, while providing a burst of flavor and texture.
These sides offer a variety of options to suit different preferences and dietary needs, ensuring a well-rounded and satisfying meal alongside the flavorful lentils.
More Lentil Recipes
If you want some more delicious low calorie lentil recipes, check out these:
- Roasted Butternut Squash and Lentil Curry
- Coconut, Aubergine and Spinach Dhal
- Thai Red Chicken Lentil Soup
- Sweet Potato, Vegetable and Lentil Chilli
or if you would like more recipe ideas - head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes with calories and you can search by meal type, ingredients, course, diet and more.
All recipes on Slimming Eats have estimated nutritional information for your convenience.
FAQ for Spicy Lentils and Spinach
Yes, you can freeze the cooked spicy lentils and spinach in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through. Add stock/water to loosen if needed
Absolutely! This recipe is perfect for batch cooking. Simply double or triple the ingredients as needed and store the leftovers in portion-sized containers for convenient lunches or dinners throughout the week.
Red lentils are not recommended as they have a shorter cooking time and tend to break down more easily, resulting in a different texture and consistency. Adjusting the ratios and cooking time would be necessary, altering the overall outcome of the dish.
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Recipe Card
Spicy Lentils and Spinach (Stove Top and Pressure Cooker)
Delicious Spicy Lentils and Spinach - a budget friendly dish that is great served with a variety of different sides and is great for freezing.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger
- 2 carrots, chopped finely
- 1 courgette (zucchini), chopped
- 160g (¾ cup) green or brown lentils, dried
- 360ml (1 ½ cups) water
- 120g (½ cup) of passata (or crushed tomatoes)
- 3 cups (or handfuls) of fresh spinach, chopped
- 2 green chilies - sliced in half lengthways
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon of ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric
- 1 teaspoon of garam masala
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- low calorie spray
to serve:
- 4 tabllespoons Fat Free Natural Yoghurt (optional)
- Fresh Coriander, chopped
Instructions
Stove Top:
- Spray a large saucepan over a medium-high heat with cooking oil. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and fry until slightly softened, add in a little water to prevent from burning if needed.
- Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric and garam masala and mix into a paste.
- Add the carrot, courgette, lentils, green chilli's, passata, water and salt.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
- Add spinach and stir until spinach is slightly wilted into mixture.
- Enjoy!!
- (optional) Top with a dollop of plain yoghurt mixed with chopped coriander and lemon juice.
Instant Pot:
- Set instant pot to saute mode, spray the inner pot with some cooking oil spray
- Once instant pot displays hot, Add the onion, garlic and ginger and fry until slightly softened, add in a little water to prevent from burning if needed.
- Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric and garam masala and mix into a paste.
- Add the carrot, courgette, lentils, green chilli's, passata, water and salt.
- Add lid, set to manual high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Once it finishes cooking time, let the pressure release naturally for approx 10 mins and then release any additional pressure before removing the lid.
- Stir through the chopped spinach.
- Enjoy!!
- (optional) Top with a dollop of plain yoghurt mixed with chopped coriander and lemon juice.
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
- Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
- WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs - due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
- Gluten Free Friendly
- Dairy Free Friendly - dairy free yoghurt for topping if using
- Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly
- Freezer Friendly ❄️
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Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1 servingAmount Per Serving Calories 225Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 3mgSodium 639mgCarbohydrates 40gFiber 14gSugar 7gProtein 14g
Nutritional information and values etc are an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate by the ingredients you use.
Cindy says
yum, Yum, YUM!!! Even my hubby who is not a massive lentil fan.. LOVED it!
Moira says
This is one of my favourite cold weather dinners. Cheap too and full of speed veg. Perfect!
Karen says
delicious, will definitely be making this again.
Bahati says
This has become a family favourite, even my 11 year old who is fussy with eating fell in love with this lentil recipe! . We eat it with rice and sometimes for a change with Chapati, adding in an African twist. Thanks for posting this recipe .