March – Green Lentil Dish

This recipe is thanks to Ottolenghi from his book Plenty More. It’s his take on a typical Arab hummus. It’s a simple, but hearty meal, served with eggs, bread or rice.

It’s best to pre-soak the lentils for 8hrs or overnight to aid digestion. Simply soak in cold water, then drain and rinse before cooking. We use French green lentils grown here in Victoria by Burrum Biodynamics.

This recipe is great anytime of year. However we really enjoy it when cucumbers are in season over summer and early autumn. The fresh crunch of cucumbers go perfectly with this creamy dish.

Ingredients
200g French green lentils
2 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp cumin seeds, whole
4 medium tomatoes (or 1 tin of tomatoes)
60g tahini
2 tbsp lemon juice
70ml water
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
Handful of fresh coriander with stems, chopped
2 hard boiled eggs, quartered
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional garnish)


Method
Once the lentils have been soaked, drained an rinsed, add them to a large pot of boiling water and cook for about 20mins or until softened. Drain and set aside.

Cook the garlic and cumin seeds in the olive oil over a low heat in a large frypan. Next add the tomatoes and cooked lentils. Cook for a few minutes before adding the tahini, lemon juice and water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Lower heat and cook gently for about 5 minutes. You can use a potato masher to roughly mash the lentils a little.

Spread the lentils onto a plate and top with the onion, fresh coriander and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve warm with the eggs and a sprinkle of paprika, alongside either rice or fresh bread.

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