This deliciously flavorful lentil bean stew is wealthy and creamy with deep flavors from North Indian spices! It’s a straightforward, 1-pan 30 minute white bean stew with break up lentils that you could serve by itself or with rice, flatbread, or naan. Naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free.

I needed to create a 1-pan lentil bean stew utilizing the flavour profiles from my rara rooster and Angara rooster recipes. This tremendous simple and hearty stovetop recipe is tailored from my herb lentil and chickpea stew by incorporating these wonderful North Indian spices to that 1-pot format.
This can be a fast recipe upon getting all the spices collectively, and it’s also tremendous versatile. If you happen to don’t have each spice, it should nonetheless end up completely scrumptious. Simply add extra garam masala or curry powder as a substitute. See recipe notes for alternate taste choices.

It’s also possible to use totally different beans or chickpeas on this stew. I exploit break up crimson lentils, however brown lentils and petite yellow lentils work nicely, too, in addition to another quick-cooking lentils. If you happen to’re utilizing complete brown lentils, the cooking time will practically double, so simply be conscious of that.

This can be a tremendous soothing and scrumptious lentil bean stew. You may regulate the flavors to desire, like folding in some garam masala or curry powder ultimately to deepen the flavour. Principally, simply make it your personal.
Why You’ll Love Lentil Bean Stew
- 1-pan consolation meals dinner prepared in half-hour
- wonderful taste from North Indian spices!
- versatile: combine and match beans and spices to make it your personal
- naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free with simple coconut-free and oil-free choices

For the Stew
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1½ cups chopped onion
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 black cardamom pod, partially opened (non-obligatory)
- ¼ teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
- 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste, or use 5 cloves garlic minced and half an inch ginger minced
- 1 cup chopped tomato, or ½ cup tomato purée or Passata
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 15 oz can full-fat coconut milk
- 1½ cups water or inventory
- ¼ to ⅓ cup break up crimson lentils
- 15 oz can white beans, drained, or 1½ cups cooked white beans, like cannellini or nice northern or use chickpeas
- ½ cup frozen spinach, thawed or 2 oz recent chopped spinach
- cilantro, lemon juice, crimson pepper flakes, for garnish
- non-dairy cream or yogurt, for garnish, non-obligatory
Stop your display screen from going darkish
-
In a small bowl, mix all the spice combine components, and set this apart.
-
Warmth a big skillet over medium-high warmth and add the oil. As soon as the oil is sizzling, add the onion and a beneficiant pinch of salt. Combine and cook dinner till the onions flip translucent, about 3 minutes or so.
-
Combine within the bay leaf, black cardamom, and crushed fennel seeds. Prepare dinner for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, and add a splash of water to assist the onions cook dinner evenly. As soon as the onions are beginning to flip golden, add in about ¾ of your spice combine together with a splash of water to maintain the spices from burning. Prepare dinner this for 10 to fifteen seconds, cut back the warmth to medium, then combine within the ginger-garlic paste, tomato, and one other splash of water. Prepare dinner, till the tomatoes develop into jammy, about 3 to five minutes, stirring regularly to the tomatoes don’t scorch. Ensure that to press the bigger items of tomato to assist them break down.
-
When the combination begins to go away the edges of the pan and also you see a sheen of oil on the highest, combine within the coconut milk, water or inventory, and the remaining salt. Add the lentils and white beans, and blend these in, as nicely. Partially cowl and cook dinner for 12 to fifteen minutes, or till the lentils are cooked to desire. Test in on the 12-minute mark, and in the event that they’re not executed but, cowl once more and maintain simmering.
-
Open the lid and fold within the frozen spinach and cook dinner for 1 extra minute. Style and regulate the salt and taste, including extra salt, if wanted. Add a splash of lemon juice for tang, and add ¼ teaspoon or extra sugar or maple syrup to stability out the savoriness and warmth, if wanted.
-
Swap off the warmth and sprinkle the remaining spice mix on high. Garnish with cilantro, lemon juice, crimson pepper flakes, and non-obligatory non-dairy cream or yogurt. Serve this sizzling, scrumptious stew with sourdough, garlic bread, naan, flatbread, rice, quinoa, baked potatoes, or cauliflower steaks.
For coconut-free, use cashew milk or one other non-dairy milk of selection.
For oil-free, sauté the onion in a number of tablespoons water or inventory as a substitute of oil.
To make its with out the spice combine, use 2 teaspoons or extra garam masala or curry powder or Berbere or Cajun mix as a substitute.
For herbed stew, add 2 teaspoons or extra Italian herbs corresponding to oregano thyme basil, and a couple of tablespoon chopped solar dried tomato
Energy: 260kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 14g, Fats: 5g, Saturated Fats: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g, Monounsaturated Fats: 1g, Sodium: 448mg, Potassium: 894mg, Fiber: 12g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 2907IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 188mg, Iron: 5mg
Vitamin info is mechanically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.

Components and Substitutions
- spices – For the spice combine, you want black pepper, Kashmiri chili powder, floor cardamom, floor cinnamon, and floor cloves. It’s also possible to add floor coriander, garam masala, and/or curry powder to the spice combine, in order for you a deeper taste. For the stew, you’ll want a bay leaf, a black cardamom pod, and crushed fennel seeds.
- oil – To sauté. You may water or broth fry for oil-free, if you happen to favor.
- onion – Provides umami to the lentil bean stew.
- ginger garlic paste – For extra umami and slightly warmth.
- tomato – Use recent chopped tomato or canned tomato puree so as to add shade, moisture, and much more umami.
- coconut milk – For creaminess. For a coconut-free model, use cashew milk or another thick non-dairy milk of selection.
- break up crimson lentils – Or use different quick-cooking lentils. If you happen to use brown lentils, the cooking time will nearly double, so simply plan accordingly.
- cooked white beans – Use your favourite white beans corresponding to cannellini or northern. or use chickpeas.
- frozen spinach – Ensure that to thaw and drain the spinach. Or use chopped recent spinach
- toppings – Garnish with cilantro, lemon juice, and pepper flakes. It’s also possible to drizzle on some non-dairy cream or non-dairy yogurt, as nicely.
💡 Suggestions
- If the onion is drying out when you are cooking it, you possibly can add splashes of water to stop burning and assist it cook dinner extra evenly.
- If you add the spice combine to the pan, add one other splash of water to maintain the spices from scorching.
The right way to Make Lentil Bean Stew
In a small bowl, mix all the spice combine components, and set this apart.
Warmth a big skillet over medium-high warmth and add the oil. As soon as the oil is sizzling, add the onion and a beneficiant pinch of salt. Combine and cook dinner till the onions flip translucent, about 3 minutes or so.
Combine within the bay leaf, black cardamom, and crushed fennel seeds. Prepare dinner for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, and add a splash of water to assist the onions cook dinner evenly.
As soon as the onions are beginning to flip golden, add in about ¾ of your spice combine together with a splash of water to maintain the spices from burning. Prepare dinner this for 10 to fifteen seconds, cut back the warmth to medium, then combine within the ginger-garlic paste, tomato, and one other splash of water. Prepare dinner, till the tomatoes develop into jammy, about 3 to five minutes, stirring regularly to the tomatoes don’t scorch.
Ensure that to press the bigger items of tomato to assist them break down. When the combination begins to go away the edges of the pan and also you see a sheen of oil on the highest, combine within the coconut milk, water or inventory, and the remaining salt.
Add the lentils and white beans, and blend these in, as nicely. Partially cowl and cook dinner for 12 to fifteen minutes, or till the lentils are cooked to desire. Test in on the 12-minute mark, and in the event that they’re not executed but, cowl once more and maintain simmering.
Open the lid and fold within the spinach and cook dinner for 1 extra minute. Style and regulate the salt and taste, including extra salt, if wanted. Add a splash of lemon juice for tang, and add ¼ teaspoon or extra sugar to stability out the savoriness, if wanted.
Swap off the warmth and sprinkle the remaining spice combine on high.
Garnish with cilantro, lemon juice, crimson pepper flakes, and non-obligatory non-dairy cream or yogurt.
What to Serve with Lentil Bean Stew
Serve this sizzling, scrumptious stew with sourdough, garlic bread, naan, flatbread, rice, quinoa, baked potatoes, or cauliflower steaks.
Incessantly Requested Questions
This stew is of course gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free. For coconut-free, use cashew milk or one other non-dairy milk of selection.
For oil-free, sauté the onion in water or inventory as a substitute of oil.