Potato and Red Lentil Curry

My number one budget tip is COOK! You have to cook, there's just no way around it. Convenience foods, especially vegan foods are super expensive!! Even the sales are still pricey in my opinion. And eating out is not cheap so you have to be friends with the kitchen. You don't have to have fancy equipment or spend hours in the kitchen, but you do have to use it. I love to cook and spend hours in the kitchen on my days off but I also like to have quick meals for work nights.
One of my favorite simple meals is potato and red lentil curry. Potatoes, lentils and rice are three of the cheapest foods you can find. I like to make the curry before I go to work, and then when I get home all I have to do is make rice and heat the curry. Curry is always better after it's been sitting for awhile anyway! Red lentils can be more expensive than brown or green lentils and this curry is delicious with those but it does increase the cook time. I like red lentils because they're quick cooking and they kind of melt into the curry and make it really creamy!

It's so good. It comes together in twenty minutes and it certainly doesn't taste like a budget meal at all. It can get super depressing being on a super tight budget, believe me I know. So I really try hard to not eat depressing food. I always say if you're poor eat lentils not Top Ramen! This is a dish I would make and crave even if my finances were different.

                                                    Potato and Red Lentil Curry

•  4 medium red potatoes peeled and diced/chopped
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic,minced
• 1/4 C. red lentils
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric
• 1 T. curry powder
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
• 1 1/2 T. peanut butter
• 1 can regular or light coconut milk
• 1/2 cup water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 T coconut oil for sauteing or use water

Saute the onion and garlic in coconut oil or water over medium heat for three or four minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add turmeric, curry powder and crushed red pepper is using. Add the potatoes and saute for about two more minutes. Add lentils, coconut milk, water and peanut butter if using. This dish is delicious without it, but it does add extra creaminess and richness. Bring everything up to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about fifteen to twenty minutes. Stir every so often to keep it all moving an grooving. I like to add a few dashes of soy sauce after it's done cooking to give it extra oomph. Serve with rice of your choice and you have a meal for two to four people depending on appetites and sides and such. It also freezes well!