Lentil stew with sweet potato and beans

Ingredients for 12 servings:

• 2 onions
• 3 stalk(s) celery
• 3 carrots
• 1 chili pepper(s)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 large sweet potato(s)
• 500 g beans, frozen
• 1 can tomatoes, chopped, approx. 400 g
• 500 g lentils
• Water for soaking
• n. B. Salt and pepper from the mill
• some oil for frying
• 2 liters of water

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 4 hours 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 5 hours 30 minutes

Soak the lentils in plenty of water for about 4 hours. Prepare the vegetables and keep them separate. Clean the onions, carrots, and celery stalks and finely dice or chop them. Deseed the chili pepper, halve or quarter it lengthwise, and cut it crosswise into thin strips. Peel the garlic cloves. Peel and dice the sweet potato. Drain the lentils in a sieve and rinse with cold water. Drain. Heat a little oil in a large pot and sauté the diced onion, but do not brown it. Add the chili pepper, celery, and carrots, press in the garlic, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring. Sprinkle the curry powder over the top and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the lentils and diced sweet potato to the pot along with the bay leaves, pour in just under 2 liters of boiling water, mix everything well, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and beans, bring back to a boil, and continue cooking for 10 minutes. When the lentils are soft, season generously with salt and freshly ground pepper, and season with curry powder to taste. Let it sit for a while before serving, then discard the bay leaves.