Creamy Green Lentils Curry

I don't prepare dhal makhani or any rajma curries at home since hubby is not a big fan off these.  I wanted to try an almost similar version with a regular lentil that we consume on a regular basis and came up with this dish.  This is a big hit even with the kids (especially my little girl who is very specific about not seeing any onions, tomatoes or mustard seeds or pretty much everything....then my little madam put up a show of almost throwing up saying that she threw up because I added the "black things" : ) .   A great and different side dish for chapthis and rice. I did not add any cream to the curry, just some almonds and cashews to give a creamy texture without making it too heavy. The combination of the green lentils with the gravy was very good. You can also use rajma whole masoor dhal here instead of the green lentils.

Ingredients:
1. Green lentils or any other preferred lentils or legumes, 1 cup.
2. Onion, large, diced into big cubes, 1.
3. Tomato, small, 2, chopped.
4. Garlic, 2 cloves,
5. Ginger, a small piece.
6. Fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon.
7. Cinnamon, a small piece.
8. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
9. Coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon.
10. Salt, as per taste.
11. Cashews and almonds, 2-3 of each.
12. Curry leaves, and chopped cilantro for garnishing.

Preparation:
Wash the lentils well and cook them until they are just tender and not too mushy and keep them aside. Heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil and add the fennel seeds and the cinnamon stick. Fry for a few seconds and then add the diced onion, ginger, and garlic and saute for a few minutes until the onions are tender. Then add the chopped tomatoes and keep sauteing for a few more minutes until everything is well blended.  Let the mixture cool  and add the almonds and cashews to this and grind into a smooth paste. Dilute it with 3/4 cup of water and transfer the contents back to the pan on low heat. Add the chili powder, coriander powder, and salt and cook for 2 minutes on low flame. Finally add the lentils and let it simmer for a minute and garnish with ghee and chopped cilantro, curry leaves. This curry goes well with ghee rice, plain rice, chapathis and dosas.