Ultra Easy Chickpea and Lentil "Kinda" Masala

Chickpea & Lentil Masala

I had a recipe for Lentil and Chickpea Marsala from Weight Watchers Make & Take Cookbook that I had been meaning to try.  I also had an expensive jar of opened spaghetti sauce that I needed to use.  From there, this dish was born.  The grocery store was sold out of my favorite Arrabiata spaghetti sauce, so I tried a $10 jar of artisan arrabiata sauce.  The sauce was not bad, but I was subsequently able to order my favorite.  So this jar was sitting in the frig, and I figured I needed to make a soup, stew or something so as not to let it go to waste.  I used the jarred sauce, chickpeas, lentils, and a couple spices, including garam masala, and voila, I had a nice dinner. 

Ingredients

8 oz dried chickpeas

4 oz dried lentils

salt

1 quart vegetable broth

2 cups spicy spaghetti sauce

2 cloves garlic, sliced or chopped

1-2 tsp garam masala

¼ tsp cayenne pepper, optional

Instructions

1- Soak about half of a 1 lb bag of chickpeas for 4 to 8 hours.  In a separate bowl, soak about 1 cup of dried lentils.  Add 1 tsp of baking soda to reduce the gassy properties. 

2- After soaking chickpeas, drain, rinse and put in Dutch oven pot.  Add enough water or vegetable broth to cover, plus one inch.  I used salted water.  Boil covered for about 45 minutes. 

3- When chickpeas are starting to soften, add drained, rinsed lentils.  Add spaghetti sauce and garlic.  My sauce had plenty of garlic, so I didn’t add any more.  Add garam masala.  I only added 1 tsp of garam masala, and no cayenne because arrabiata sauce already has plenty of heat. 

4- Boil covered until chickpeas and lentils are both soft, about 30 minutes. 

5- Serve with couscous.  I bought whole wheat couscous unintentionally.  Not sure that I could tell the difference from regular. 

I’m not sure if this dish totally qualifies to be a masala with spicy spaghetti sauce in it, but this was a surprisingly great simple meal!  I’ve seen similar recipes with chickpeas, lentils, and eggplant.  This dish was super easy, especially when compared to something like the delicious, but more labor intensive Marrakesh Stew.  Chickpea and Lentil Masala would be quick as well as easy if using canned chickpeas and lentils.