Dal Stew/Black Lentil Stew

I was at an international market the other day and saw a bean I have never seen before. It was only $1.69 for a 2 pound bag, so I decided I would buy it and if they weren't good it's not like it would be a huge loss. They were matpe beans, aka black lentils. They look like super mini black beans and are packed with protein, calcium, fiber and several other good things. Since I am currently on a whole food plant based diet, they looked to be nutrient dense winners to me. When I got home I Googled "matpe bean recipes" and only a few Indian stew recipes came up. There was this Lentil Stew recipe from Cookstr and this Punjabi Dal Makhani from food.com. Both were similar and different at the same time. I couldn't decide on which one to make, so I came up with my own combination of things. The end result was super delicious and I served it with brown rice and homemade whole wheat naan.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup dried matpe beans, soaked overnight
• 1/2 cup dried kidney beans, soaked overnight
• 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp garam masala (I made my own, but I do not have the spice combo readily available)
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 6 tsp ground fresh ginger root
• 32- 40 ounces water/broth
• 1 15 ounce can coconut milk (not coconut drink)
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except for coconut milk and cilantro in a crock pot or pan. Cook for about 8 hours or until the beans are tender and the stew has thickened in a crock pot. Add coconut milk at about hour 7 and add the cilantro right before serving. If cooking on a stove, bring to a boil and then cook over medium heat until the beans are tender. This may take 2-3 hours, and additional liquid may need to be added during cooking. Add the coconut milk about 30 minutes to an hour before it is ready and the cilantro right before serving. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with brown rice or naan or both.