Homemade Alternative to TastyBite Brand Madras Lentils – Care2.com

When I tried a sample of TastyBite brand Madras Lentils off a little plastic spoon at Costco, I loved the flavor! The sauce was creamy and gently spiced. My kids liked it. The ingredients list—simple, whole and vegetarian—almost hooked me.

But I’m a “from-scratch” kind of person at heart, and instead of buying the pouches I set about creating a copycat version of Madras Lentils in my own kitchen. Jackpot! This recipe is my own take on those hearty, deeply-flavorful lentils mingling along with creamy red beans in spiced tomato sauce.

Even though the commercial version of Madras Lentils offers convenience and nutritious ingredients, there’s good reason to make it at house instead:

Eat fresh. When you use fresh ingredients you source yourself, food just tastes better! You can likewise choose organic ingredients if you like.

Enjoy the surplus. This recipe makes a HUGE pot of Madras Lentils. Serve a crowd, eat leftovers for days or freeze half for another week.

Reduce Packaging Waste. Each pouch of TastyBite brand Madras Lentils contains just 10 oz. of food. If you eat them regularly, that adds up to a lot of plastic! Portion homemade Madras Lentils in freezer-safe containers to reduce waste.

Save money. The ingredients cost around $10 at most supermarkets, and the dish easily feeds 6-8 people.

We love to eat these Madras Lentils over whole grain naan or toast, brown rice and even whole wheat pasta. Enjoy them for dinner tonight!

Madras Lentils

Ingredients:

1 lb (dry) French lentils, rinsed and drained
2 cups cooked small red beans*
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 sweet onion, chopped small
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
2 Tbls. butter
½ mug half & half
1 tsp. ground cumin
1-2 tsp. salt

Directions:

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, fry onion and jalapenos in the butter for about ten minutes, until they turn slippery and translucent.

Add the lentils, cumin and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer until the lentils are tender, 30-45 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and red beans, and simmer for ten minutes to blend flavors.

Use an immersion blender to puree some of the lentils. I stop when I think about half the lentils are pureed, and the rest are still whole.  (You may likewise take a few cups of lentils out and puree them in a regular blender, then return them to the pot.)

Stir in the cream and salt, then adjust seasonings to taste and serve!

*Canned is fine, but for extra flavor, I like to cook the red beans in a tension cooker along with a teaspoon of ground cumin, a quartered onion and two bay leaves.