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Ive been making this lately--a lot, and we're both not fed up with it yet! In fact, making more today, and the Mr. asked me to make idlis with it (had been making either cornbread or naan).
Adapted from Eating Well/ Feb. 2013
Moroccan Lentil Soup
12 servings
2 tsp EVOO
2 c chopped onions
2 c chopped carrots
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
6 c vegetable or red. sodium chicken broth
2 c water
3 c chopped cauliflower
1 3/4 c lentils
28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 Tbl tomato paste
4 c chopped fresh spinach
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbl. fresh lemon juiceHeat oil, add onion & carrots, cook until softened, about 10 min. Add garlic, cook 30 sec. Add spices, stirring, about 1 min.
Add broth, water, cauliflower, lentils, tomatoes & tomato paste. Bring to boil. Simmer, partially covered, about 45 min. Stir in spinach, cook about 5 min.
Just before serving, stir in cilantro & lemon juice.Certainly could sub other veggies. I up the spicing some, too. Article says this costs under $1./serving, so certainly meets the low cost issues addressed on some recent boards!
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I have made an Algerian kind of lentil dish with fresh carrots and yoghurt, even the not so much of a spice man boyfriend loved it!
Ingredients:
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 teaspoons of chopped garlic – I received for Christmas home-made, hand chopped garlic, conserved in olive oil. It has a very strong flavour – amazing! I used this for the recipe.
2 tomatoes and half cup cherry tomatoes in tomato sauce (leftover)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp coriander, crushed
150g brown lentils
1/2 l chicken stock
1 cup plain yoghurt
salt, pepper and powdered paprika to tastePreparation:
1. In a pressure cooker – sauté the onion and carrots with a splash of olive oil until soft. Add the garlic, spices and tomatoes and stir.
2. Add the lentil, chicken stock, mix, and secure the lid. Cook for about 30 minutes or until lentils are soft.
3. Before serving, mix in a cup of plain yoghurt and enjoy with fresh bread or pita!
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Ok so I just tried to post but it didn't seem to work, if I'm double posting I apologize!
Here's my recipe: http://theconvivialcook.blogspot.ca/2...
It's nice and light and makes great lunches for work or school!
Can't wait to try some of these other recipes out :D
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I'm totally in love with this sweet potato/lentil/date/walnut recipe right now. It's delicious. I use sprouted lentils that are super quick to cook, but it would be great with regular lentils too. Give it a try! http://www.katheats.com/favorite-food...
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BabsW
Oct 28, 2011 07:34 AM
I love mujadarrah that was mentioned above, and any number of lentil soups, especially a simpler preparation with some balsamic vinegar, but I also adore red lentils. I threw together a sort of stew of red lentils and quinoa and it turned out to be pretty tasty. My 8 year-old in particular really liked it.
I apologize for being inexact about the amount of spices. I literally just shook the stuff in and tasted as I went.
Red Lentil and Quinoa Stew
Ingredients:
1 stalk celery, diced finely
1 medium onion, diced finely
1/2 red bell pepper, diced finely
1/2 cup of grated carrot
1 large clove garlic, chopped (about 2 T)
1/4 cup diced tomato
3/4 cup red lentils
1/2 cup quinoa
5 cups water or broth
1 T tomato paste
onion powder
garlic powder
chili powder
coriander
cumin
turmeric
1 bay leaf
hot sauceDirections:
Heat 2 T olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.Add the chopped onion and celery and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the bell pepper, carrots and garlic, stirring well.
After 5 minutes or so, when the vegetables have softened significantly, add the tomato and stir well.
Add the spices and let cook for a minute.
Add the red lentils, turn the heat to high and add the water and the tomato paste.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, keep covered and let simmer for 30 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Here's where I add the hot sauce.
Simmer uncovered another 15 minutes until the lentils are no longer crunchy. Fish out the bay leaf.
Serve, adding more hot sauce as your palate dictates. Today, my palate commanded a heavy hand with the Cholula.
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sunshine842
Sep 24, 2010 01:19 PM
The French make an awesome one-pot meal called Lentils aux Petit Sale -- it's a cured ham hock cooked with carrots and onions (stick a couple of whole cloves in the onions), a bay leaf, and a few springs of thyme -- then the lentils are cooked in some of the stock from the ham hock. Take the meat & skin off the ham hock and return the shredded meat to the stock and lentils, along with a few smoked sausages cut into chunks (kielbasa or something similar). It's great comfort food on a frosty night.
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I know I am bumping an old thread, but I was searching for new lentil salad recipes.
I thought I'd share a great lentil stew to the collection:
Turkish Eggplant, Tomato and Lentil Stew with Pomegranate
http://tastespace.wordpress.com/2010/...›2 Replies-
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re: blinknoodle
I've found this lentil recipe to be really good. It is not salad though. You should use red / orange lentils for this recipe and not green ones.
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The Professor
Mar 14, 2010 01:55 PM
One of my favorites (besides lentil soup) is a stew made of Pardina or French lentils (both are great) with diced parsnips, rutabaga, and cubes of seared pork butt braised until the pork is tender and succulent. I'll usually use a very rich chicken or duck stock as the base, bit a nice vegetable stock is good too. Some caramelized onions, plenty of black pepper, a hint of turmeric and some sweet paprika (Hungarian...the best kind...you can use the hot if you want it spicier) , and fresh parsely round it out. I make this as a rather thick stew...and it's a mighty satisfting meal.
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my recipe for italian lentil soup: brown 1/2 lb hot italian sausage, set aside. pour off fat in excess of 2 tablespoons. melt 1 large diced onion in the fat. stir in 2 tablespoons tomato paste and caramelize a little. add sausage back, plus 2 cups diced carrots, 1 lb lentils. cover with chicken broth and simmer until carrots and lentils are tender.
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This is one of my ALL TIME favourite soups. Such wonderful flavours, so garlicky :) I make it often and never get tired of it.
Greek Red Lentil Soup
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
2 Tbsp chopped fresh or 1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary or thyme leaves (optional)
2 cups red lentils, rinsed, drained (dry not canned)
8 cups vegetable stock
3-4 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (I used the light kind)
Chopped fresh parsleyHeat oil in large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
Add onion; cook stirring about 5 minutes or until soft. Add garlic, carrots, black pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano and rosemary or thyme (if using); cook, stirring, about 2 minutes more.
Add lentils and stock. Bring to boil over high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until lentils are soft and falling apart, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Add lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve hot, sprinkled with feta and chopped parsley.
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If you can find a copy of the NY Times Natural Foods Cookbook, their second recipe for lentil soup (with spinach, tomato juice, basil, white wine and cheese) is delicious. I ran across the recipe many years ago in the Times, it was slightly adapted from the book in that they recommended using grated Romano instead of goat cheese.
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Divamac
Feb 8, 2010 06:05 PM
My husband and I are hooked on a very simple lentil and sausage dish. It's very forgiving and always delicious and comforting.
Saute a couple of cloves of chopped garlic, one chopped large onion and a couple of diced carrots (and celery if you've got it) in some olive oil in a large saucepan until the onions are translucent. Add 1 cup of rinsed brown lentils and a few cups of vegetable broth (can use water - add some salt if using water). Simmer 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft.
Meanwhile, fry up 1 pound of link sausage (any kind will do, but I usually use sweet italian). Remove the sausage when it is thoroughly cooked. Keep warm.
When the lentils are done, deglaze the sausage pan with a little veggie broth (or wine) and add the lentils to infuse them with the sausage flavor. Season with salt and pepper, a splash of red vinegar (or wine, or vermouth) and tarragon (fresh is great, but Penzy's dried is also great).
Slice the sausage on the bias and serve atop a bowl of yummy lentils. You can also remove the sausage from the casings before cooking and mix the cooked sausage into the lentils.
Wonderful with some bread and a glass of wine.
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re: Divamac
Sausage and lentil is delicious. I routinely make something very similar but dress the warm lentils with a very mustardy vinaigrette. Sometimes if the sausage is lightly smoked, I cook it right in the lentils and they get a bit of the smokey flavour. Carrot (preferably small dice b/c the lentils are small) is perfect in it. If I have a parsnip I put that in too.
Will definitely being trying yours!
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re: cinnamon girl
nomadchowwoman
Feb 11, 2010 08:56 AM
Yes, lentils and sausage is a wonderful combination. And I can't wait to try a mustardy vinaigrette. Sounds delicious.
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Warm french lentil salad w/ bacon, shallots, and spinach (with or without the egg on top)--truly an amazing combination: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo....
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re: Val55
JerryMe
Feb 10, 2010 10:25 AM
Made lentil chili about a week ago. It was a 'wing it' recipe as in I had to wing it and wasn't going to the store. Started with simmering some lentils (brown) and adding: onion, carrots (in the beginning) then canned beans (red kidney and chili beans - drained the kidneys but not the chili) chili powder and cumin. Something else - maybe tomatoes and a tomato paste. Simmered 'till lentils were done and served with cornbread muffins. Served the next day with rice and eventually leftovers went into chili omelets. Made a LOT and it was very good. Sorry I don't have a specific but give it a whirl!
Oh! I just remembered - a touch of cocoa powder. Darkens it and adds a 'something'
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ifjuly
Feb 4, 2010 03:51 PM
Orangette's take on warm French lentil salad is very tasty and super fast 'n easy:
http://orangette.blogspot.com/2007/05...That Ethiopian dish of bright yellow lentil mash, with a name I always forget, is probably my very favorite take, though...
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Tom - a couple of nights ago I made lentils are described below, they were a big hit. I sauteed some minced onion in the bottom of the pot; added french lentils (about 2 cups), a large bay leaf, about 1 tablespoon of fresh dill, 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme and 3 cups of homemade stock. The stock was made with entely of root veggies and onion (all the end and bits that were dying in the frig) and I hadn't been sure what to do with it but it was excellent with the lentils. With a bit of sour cream added at the table it was yummy good.
As others have said I prefer french lentils and I always add some sort of sour taste or citrus to liven up the flavor of lentils.
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Just made this recipe for the second time. Easy, and gorgeous presentation.
Salmon over French lentils with an Herbed Mustard Sauce.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...I cooked my lentils in chicken broth. I also just use whatever herbs I have on hand...this time, I skipped the tarragon and chives and used the parsley I already had. I didn't have leeks, so I used green onion instead, and it was still fantastic.
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greygarious
Jan 23, 2010 08:14 PM
I have eaten, but never made, "vegetarian chopped liver", which is lentils cooked with onion, then mixed with hard-boiled egg and mayo, plus seasonings including paprika and black pepper. It would have been better if it had schmaltz rather than mayo, although that negates the vegetarian part.
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Tom P
Jan 16, 2010 04:01 PM
Many thanks everyone! These all sound wonderful! I did the Lentils with Red-Wine braised veggies last weekend and it was terrific. I will slowly work my way through all of these, looking forward to it. Next up, I think, will be THE. BEST. SALAD. EVER. :) Can't wait for the curries, too ... all of them!
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re: Tom P
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re: mariacarmen
Tom P
Jan 26, 2010 03:44 PM
I had it this afternoon - loved it! So simple yet so good.
Question... which are french lentils? My Whole Foods, which has so many varieties of different grains and legumes, has a pitiful selection of lentils. Basically green and red. I found some 'Du Puy style' lentils at Gelsons, which I used. I was wondering about all the differences.
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re: Tom P
greygarious
Jan 26, 2010 04:07 PM
DuPuy = French lentils. Indian and other ethnic markets are a good source for a greater varfiety of lentils. Trader Joe's has the little black Beluga lentils.
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re: Tom P
Tom P
Jan 28, 2010 03:01 PM
I have to again say, having eaten it three nights in a row at work that this truly is a remarkable salad. Something about how all these specific tastes combine is just wonderful. Mariacarmen, where did you find this or did you come up with it on your own?
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re: Tom P
mariacarmen
Feb 10, 2010 10:52 PM
oops, sorry, just saw this! Thanks!! I really did come up with it myself, and i'm so glad you liked it too! the combo IS amazing, it's really addictive - the textures, the different flavors . . .
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mariacarmen
Jan 16, 2010 02:38 PM
French lentils at room temperature or cold, arugula, avocado slices, hard boiled egg quarters, mixed gently together with a lemon/dijon/shallot vinaigrette, salt, pepper. THE. BEST. SALAD. EVER.
›5 Replies-
re: mariacarmen
GretchenS
Feb 9, 2010 01:14 PM
mariacarmen, I read your salad recipe this morning and had everything on hand so I made it for lunch, exactly as you said but adding shreds of raddichio as well for the color. Outstanding! My only complaint is that I ate too much of it. Can't wait to have some more tomorrow -- thanks!
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re: GretchenS
mariacarmen
Feb 10, 2010 10:55 PM
Yay! i'm so happy people are enjoying it! Radicchio sounds like a good addition too...
And i usually cool the lentils, in response to cinnamon girl, but either way is good.
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re: cinnamon girl
GretchenS
Feb 9, 2010 01:40 PM
I did. I had a package of those TJ's cryovac'd steamed lentils in the fridge that had been there awhile "in case of emergencies". I sauteed some shallots and garlic, added a big blob of tomato paste and some chicken broth and warmed the lentils through while I hard cooked the eggs and made the lemon-dijon-shallot-EVOO dressing. Then I put a mound of warm lentils on the plates, drizzled it with dressing, put avocado slices and egg wedges around the lentils, lightly dressed the arugula and radicchio and piled it nicely on top of everything. It looked gorgeous and tasted even better!
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Vetter
Jan 16, 2010 11:40 AM
My very favorite is mujadara (or mujadarrah, etc--lots of spellings). Caramelize a whole mess of onions. IMHO, more is better. Use a lot of olive oil-- it's the main flavor ingredient in this dish, that lovely oniony olive oil. Cook lentils (red wouldn't work well; I prefer the french green, black, or even plain ugly brown) in with the rice you like. Make sure you add good salt. I usually use a brown basmati-- and I take it a step further and often boil them together, giving the rice a head start. This is comfort food, not pretty food. Sneak fresh ground pepper in there somewhere. Cumin is good too. Get bowl. Put onions on top of rice and lentils. Add healthy dollop of harissa--store bought is fine. If you've got a lemon around, you could add a squeeze. If you've got a little plain yogurt or sour cream around, a dollop of that is nice too.
What amazes me about this dish is that you can skip all seasonings but salt and still have an interesting meal.
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re: Vetter
nomadchowwoman
Jan 20, 2010 07:20 PM
Mujaddrah--or however it's spelled--believed by some to be what the biblical Esau's potage was, is one of life's simple pleasures. In my student days, I made it often, as it was so filling, economical, and healthy. The caramelized onions and a squirt of lemon really make this dish.
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re: Vetter
So true. Mujaddara is so much more than the sum of it's parts. I add a little cumin, and just a pinch of cinnamon and allspice (barely detectable), along with generous amounts of salt, pepper and carmelized onions, with regular brown lentils and long-grained rice. It's a pretty good approximation of the version at our favorite little Lebanese place in the Boston area.
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re: Vetter
Ima Wurdibitsch
Feb 5, 2010 07:19 AM
Wonderful comfort food. I like to top mine with a few diced, pickled jalepenos.
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GretchenS
Jan 6, 2010 06:18 PM
Lots of these look good. The one critical thing for any lentil recipe is some acid -- citrus juice, vinegar, what have you. Anytime lentils are sort of meh they can be lifted with a good squirt of lemon or vinegar.
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re: Val
southernitalian
Feb 8, 2010 12:42 PM
I think balsamic vinegar works really well with lentils too. I make a cold lentil salad with diced, lightly sauteed celery, carrots, red onion and garlic. Add cooked cooled lentils, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, parsely, S&P. Sometimes I serve with crumbled feta and black kalamata olives on the side. So good. But I usually add a splash of balsamic vinegar to lentil soup too.
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nofunlatte
Jan 6, 2010 05:55 PM
I like the lentils with wine-glazed vegetables in Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. Here's a link to the recipe (from a blog, although it is the recipe from the Madison book).
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Channa
Jan 6, 2010 02:03 PM
I'm rather keen on Ottolenghi's spiced red lentils at the moment. It calls for a long list of ingredients, but the dish absolutely bursts with flavour.
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ChristinaMason
Jan 6, 2010 01:49 PM
Care11 has a nice-looking lentil soup recipe: http://cookwithcare.blogspot.com/2010...
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i_eat_a_lot_of_ice_cream
Jan 6, 2010 01:10 PM
I love Ina Garten's stewed lentils and tomatoes. It is so, so easy to whip up and really comforting on a cold night.
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I like this Red Lentil Curry. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Red-Lent... It's quick and easy to prepare and extremely tasty.
And this Mulligatawny Soup which is my own version of a Sarah Mouton recipe is the best I've ever had anywhere:
Mulligatawny Soup
• 2 tablespoon ghee or canola oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 clove garlic, chopped
• 3 tablespoon fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
• 1 jalapeõ chile, stemmed, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground corriander
• 2 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 cup all purpose or garbanzo flour
• 1 3/4 cup red lentils
• 9 cup chicken stock
• 3 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup low-fat unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• freshly ground pepperHeat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and jalapeño and cook, stirring, until browned, about 12 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, stir in the coriander, cumin and turmeric. Cook until fragrant, stirring, for 45 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute more.
Pour in about 2 cups of broth and cook with the veggie until they're soft. Using a stick blender, whirl until as smooth as possible. Add the rest of the broth and bring to a boil while whisking constantly. Add the lentils to the thickened broth, lower the heat and simmer, covered, until very tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a bit.
When the lentil mixture has cooled some, puree until about 85% smooth using an immersion blender. Stir in the cilantro. Return to the heat and bring back to a medium temperature.
Whisk in the coconut milk, lemon juice, and salt. Season to taste with pepper. Serve with lemon wedges and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro.
Notes:
• Really delicious soup that improves with time and is also interesting served cold in the summer.
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re: rainey
Bittman in today's NYT has a set of lentil recipes:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/din...
I haven't tried any, but many of his Indian-y ones in this group I feel would be improved by adding a souring agent: e.g. tomatoes, or tamarind.
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re: rainey
This soup looks delicious - not unlike the mulligatawny in Madhur J's first book which had lamb instead of lentils. Except for the coconut milk that is. Is it a good texture before adding the coconut milk Rainey? I'd like to make this but am trying to avoid coconut milk these days.
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nomadchowwoman
Jan 6, 2010 12:30 PM
Here's a link to one of my favorite recipes from Madhur Jaffrey. I absolutely love it--cold, room temp., hot. It is a great side for so many different main course offerings. It is perfect for a picnic. And although it is an Indian preparation, it contains none of the hot spices, whole spices, or exotic flavors that scare so many people off Indian cuisine. In fact, I never mention that it is Indian when I serve it, and even the fussiest eaters enjoy it.
Tip: I always use French green lentils, which hold their shape so well, and this makes all the difference.
›31 Replies-
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re: Bada Bing
nomadchowwoman
Jan 20, 2010 07:13 PM
It's only 1/2 tsp., in what ends up being about 5 cups or more of the finished dish, and to be honest, I've never noticed them. If the idea bothers you, you could grind them first, I guess. But this simple dish is incredibly delicious.
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re: Rasam
I just made this tonight. OMG, truly glorious in its simplicity. Thanks, nomadchowwoman!
The seeds are fine -- they add just a tiny bit of crunch, but not much (I was going from memory on the recipe and added 1/2 Tbls instead of 1/2 tsp -- still delish -- but that might have made a difference in the crunch factor).
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re: weezycom
nomadchowwoman
Jan 28, 2010 07:23 AM
I know. Every time I make this, I'm stunned at how much flavor comes from this simplest of recipes. I try to keep some on hand most of the time. A couple of spoonfuls alongside a sandwich or as a snack--so delicious, nutritious, and filling. It really helps, too, in controlling portions of more caloric things on the plate.
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re: nomadchowwoman
Tom P
Jan 28, 2010 02:27 PM
Ok, I just made this and am loving it. I doubled it, and used homemade vegetable broth rather than water (which I had on hand ... I often use broth rather than water in recipes that call for water). I also probably spiced it up a bit more. But they just finished and are warm and comforting and delicious. I will be curious to try them at room temp as well. Thanks for this!
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re: Tom P
nomadchowwoman
Jan 28, 2010 02:29 PM
Funny, I'm cooking them right now too--using some leftover chicken stock this time.
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re: nomadchowwoman
Those lentils are delicious. I halved the recipe, added one carrot (small dice), lightly crushed the cumin seeds, and used tobasco and pimente d'espellette (no cayenne). It's really good hot ... am looking forward to a room-temp snack later this evening. Thanks Nomadwoman. Oh - i put in a "ice-cube" of frozen chicken demiglace too. But I can see that you don't really need stock, which is nice for a change.
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re: nomadchowwoman
janetms383
Feb 8, 2010 02:45 PM
Thank you for posting this recipe nomadchowwoman! I made a pot this weekend and ate practically the whole thing. So simple and yet extraordinarily delicious!
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re: millygirl
janetms383
Feb 10, 2010 07:55 AM
millygirl, the recipe is very simple. Heat 4 T vegetable oil and then add 1/2 t. cumin seed and sizzle for about 30 seconds. Add 4 cloves chopped garlic and stir fry until the garlic changes color. Add one med chopped onion and stir fry until the onion softens and begins to brown. Add one cup lentils and 3 cups water. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour or until the lentils are tender. Add 1 t. salt and 1/4 t. cayenne. Simmer for about 5 mins.
At this point, I turned the pot off and let the lentil sit for about 15 mins so they were less liquidy and more creamy.
The cumin seed makes a HUGE contribution to the flavor and I love the bite of the cayenne.-
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re: Emme
I'm not a cayenne person either. I used tabasco sauce and a little pimente d'espellette (just b/c I had it) and it was delicious. But it would have been great just with tobasco. There are so many other pepper items that bring interesting flavour, besides just heat, that I don't even bother buying cayenne anymore. Plus it loses it punch pretty fast anyway.
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re: cinnamon girl
Emme
Feb 14, 2010 06:38 PM
what "pepper items" do you use that being interesting flavour aside from heat? i'm not a spicy fan, but a tad of heat with good flavour is always of interest to me. i particularly don't like the flavor of cayenne... something that developed after a week on the Master Cleanse... ugh.
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re: Emme
nomadchowwoman
Feb 15, 2010 08:52 AM
I've never detected the flavor of cayenne in this recipe: in fact, if someone gave me a taste of this wnd I didn't know what was in it, I'm not sure I would be able to tell any of the ingredients save the lentils and maybe the onion. (I'd probably guess chicken stock--and there's none.) The flavors really meld that well, and they're very subtle. But if you're really averse to cayenne, try a splash or two of hot sauce, or just black pepper. Someone downthread mentions smoked paprika. Try that; it surely won't hurt it.
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re: Emme
Ha ha . . . I can understand why you'd be off it. I just find it one-dimensional and its heat dissipates so quickly that I could never count on it being fresh enough when I needed it. It depends on what I'm making. I've mentioned tabasco and pimente d'espellette. Also smoked and hot paprika (mentioned by KaryKat), ancho powder, Chinese chili paste (esp in winter when my garlic is crappy or i'm out of it), sirracha, allspice (both ground or whole) while not searing hot gives a bit of heat and amazing aroma, smoked pepper, red pepper flakes, brined green peppercorns, pickled peppers, whatever little chiles are in my market that day whether they're type called for in the recipe or not, dried poblanos (not super hot but good flavor and some heat), tinned chipotles. Each one doesn't go in each dish, interchangeably. And many of these aren't very hot. Again, it depends on the dish. These are some of the items I use to get out of buying cayenne. Btw, I find the flavour of white pepper pretty one-dimensional too; do you?
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re: cinnamon girl
Emme
Feb 16, 2010 07:28 PM
i don't really have a problem with white pepper, but the important caveat is that i usually only use it on vegetables or in simple preparations that aren't asking for complex flavoring... maybe i'll try it in the lentils, along with something else... we'll see.
thanks for the other recs!
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re: cinnamon girl
Sal Vanilla
Feb 7, 2013 12:44 PM
How about trying allepo pepper? I am not sure if it is traditional indian, but plenty of Turks eat lentils with it.
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re: Emme
janetms383
Feb 12, 2010 09:27 AM
I thought the cayenne was an important addition and yes, it was noticeable, but I like spicy.
You could sub, but then it's not the same recipe.
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re: nomadchowwoman
Bada Bing
Mar 14, 2010 12:59 PM
Okay, I just made this and it is truly remarkable how good something so simple can taste. I used ghee for most of the oil, and I added a very un-Hindu dollop of beef glace into the water. Oh, and the merest bit of fish sauce. Really terrific. Thanks!
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re: Bada Bing
nomadchowwoman
Mar 14, 2010 01:15 PM
Believe me, I thank Madhur Jaffery quite often for this gift! I'm planning a duck dinner for friends next week, and those lentils will round out the menu. Asked to bring something vegan-friendly to a pot luck a couple of weeks ago--voila! And the recipe responds well to so many variations, as you've found.
(And it's so darned healthy!)
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re: nomadchowwoman
The Dairy Queen
Jul 30, 2011 04:32 PM
Hey, except for the cumin seeds, this recipe is very similar to one in Jaffrey's World Vegetarian, the August 2011 COTM! I can't wait to try it.
She also builds on this recipe for one called "Lentils Topped with Gingery Spinach and Yogurt" and another called "Lentils Topped with Garlic Mushrooms."
http://gourmaverett.pbworks.com/w/page/9690884/Lentils-Topped-with-Gingery-Spinach-and-Yogurt
http://wegottaeat.com/wegottaeat/reci...
~TDQ
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re: DrMag
nomadchowwoman
Jan 16, 2012 02:00 PM
So much better for you than eating, say, a whole pan of brownies ; )
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