Cheap and Cheerful Lentils: Winter is a good time to eat Lentils
Need convincing? Lentils are easy on the budget, packed with nutrients, low in calories and lend themselves to the soups, stews and braises of the winter menu. And, they are a local food. Alberta grows red, yellow, green and brown lentils, primarily in the south of the province and ships worldwide.
Here’s what’s what. Mild tasting and slightly sweet, red and yellow lentils (often sold split) are found in middle Eastern and Indian cuisine where they are called daal. Versatile and easy to make (they cook in 12-15 minutes). They don’t need to be soaked or precooked and are best for soups or spreads, due to the mushy factor (a good thing). Black lentils, often called beluga lentils, are chock full of anthocyanins (found in blue and purple foods.) They are slightly shiny, with a full-bodied flavour similar to black beans and hold their shape well during cooking. Mild-tasting brown and green lentils also hold their shape well.
Then there is the Puy lentil harvested in the French region of Puy. Considered to have the best flavour (distinctive, a bit peppery) and texture (smaller than other green lentils), generally the most expensive too. Puy take longer to cook, use about two cups of water to every cup of lentils and cook for about 45 minutes. Generally, brown, green, Puy and black lentils are best for dishes where the lentils will stand alone.
A Big Pot of Puy Lentils
Kaelin Whittaker of Awn Kitchen likes to make a big pot of lentils to serve with sausage patties and home-made aioli, roasted vegetables, or to make soup.
| 2 T | olive oil |
| 1 lg | onion, finely diced |
| 3 stalks | celery, finely diced |
| 2 | leeks, sliced |
| 2-3 | carrots, finely diced |
| 5 | bay leaves |
| a few sprigs of thyme | |
| 500 g | Puy lentils |
| a generous glass of wine | |
| 1.2 L | stock |
| 1 T | Dijon mustard |
| Big | handful of chopped parsley |
| salt and pepper |
Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron pan. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper. Cook for ten minutes before adding the rest of the vegetables, adding a bit more salt and pepper, cook for a further 10 minutes. Add the wine, cook off and then add the lentils with the stock, season again. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 1 hour until lentils are tender but still soft. Keep adding more stock (or water) as needed. When lentils are ready turn off the heat, add the mustard and parsley. Taste and correct the seasoning. These will keep for four or five days in the fridge and can be added to soups, stews, or served with lots of lovely roasted roots.
Fava Yellow Lentil Spread
Move over hummus, here comes fava, the Greek lentil spread, not to be confused with fava the bean.
| 1 sm | onion, finely chopped |
| 1 c | yellow or red lentils |
| 1 t | ground cumin |
| ½ sm | red onion, diced |
| salt and fresh-cracked pepper | |
| 1 c | parsley leaves with tender stems, plus more for serving |
| ¼ c | olive oil, plus more for drizzling |
| 2 T | fresh lemon juice, plus more for serving |
Combine onion, lentils, cumin and 4 cups water in a medium pot and season. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until lentils are tender, even mushy, 25-30 minutes. Let cool. Blitz lentil mixture, parsley, oil and lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Season to taste. Spoon into a bowl. Drizzle with more oil and lemon juice and top with more parsley and diced red onion.
Two Rooms Lentil Soup
The Two Rooms Café on Whyte Avenue made the most amazing lentil soup. Sisters Julia Kundera and Zofia Trebaczkiewicz ran this wonderful restaurant. This is an updated version by Zofia, now with the Edmonton Public Library.
| 2 med | onions |
| 3 cloves | garlic |
| 3 T | olive oil |
| 1 T | ginger-tumeric paste |
| 2 t | cumin |
| 2 t | coriander |
| 1 sm | can tomato paste (150 ml) |
| 2 c | red lentils |
| 1 c | mixed vegetables, chopped (carrots, parsley root, peppers) |
| juice of 1 lemon | |
| favourite chili flakes (Ufra, Aleppo), fresh dill or dukkah |
Sauté onions, garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add ginger-tumeric paste. Add the cumin and coriander and cook until the mixture turns golden. Add the tomato paste. Add 6 to 7 cups of water. Add rinsed lentils and bring to a boil. Add the vegetables. Cook on low heat until the lentils are soft (about 20 minutes). Blend some of the soup, so the texture is chunky and smooth. Add salt and pepper if necessary, and the juice of 1 lemon. Finish with your favourite pepper flakes or dukkah, some dill and a splash of good olive oil.
Masoor Daal (brown lentil) Khichadi
Khichadi is my ultimate comfort food. I can eat it every day. Don’t have brown lentils? Make it with other pulses—the options are endless. And, using a pressure cooker, it only takes 20 minutes to make a delicious, hearty and soul satisfying meal. My mom Renu always says ‘Khichadi ke four yaar—dahi, mooli, ghee, achaar.’ Loosely translated—khichadi has four friends, yogurt, radish, ghee (clarified butter) and pickles. We also add papadam as a fifth side that adds a nice crunch to the dish. This recipe can be adapted for the InstaPot. –Damini Mohan, Mini Kitchen.
| ¾ c | Masoor daal (brown lentils) soaked in warm water for 1 hour |
| 1¼ c | basmati rice (washed in cold water, thrice, gently wash the rice, do not crush the grains) |
| 2 T | ghee, butter or neutral oil |
| 1 t | cumin seeds |
| ½ t | asafoetida (heeng) optional, but highly recommended |
| ¼ | onion, diced |
| 3 cloves | garlic, finely diced |
| 1 t | ginger, finely diced |
| 1 t | turmeric |
| 2 | bird’s eyes chilies, finely diced, optional |
| 2 t | sea salt |
| ¼ t | garam masala, good quality |
| 2½ c | water |
| 1 | lime juice |
Dice and prep all the vegetables. In a pressure cooker, add the ghee.
Once the ghee is warm and is emitting smoke, add cumin seeds. They should crackle. At this point add asafoetida, diced onion, garlic, ginger and chilies if using. Sauté. Once the onions are translucent, add rice, lentils, turmeric, sea salt, garam masala, lime juice and water to the pressure cooker. Stir and close the lid. Once the pressure cooker whistles, turn down to the lowest heat possible. Put the timer on for 10 minutes.
While the pressure cooker is doing its magic, make the sides:
Accompaniments
Quick pickled radishes. Julienne radishes, sprinkle with salt and squeeze lime juice over.
Raita. Add finely chopped cucumber mint and ½ beet root (grated), sea salt, black pepper to 1 cup yogurt. Mix.
To serve. Add a giant dollop of ghee to the khichadi and serve with crispy papadam, radish, raita and pickles of your choice.
Red Lentil Burgers
Who needs beyond meat when you can make these tasty burgers? Chef Julia Kundera serves these delicious burgers at the Glasshouse Kitchen +Bar in St Albert.
| 1 c | red lentils |
| 1 | onion, chopped |
| ¼ c | chopped curry leaves |
| 1½ c | chopped spinach |
| ½ c | chopped mint |
| 1 t | red chilies |
| ½-inch | grated ginger |
| 4 cloves | garlic, minced |
| 1 t | cumin |
| salt to taste |
Soak the lentils for 2 hours. Drain well. Sauté onions in 2 tablespoons of oil until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, chilies and sauté for 2 minutes on low heat. Blend the onion mixture and lentils in the food processor. Add the chopped spinach, mint, coriander and curry leaves.
Mix until combined. Chill for at least 2 hours. Form patties.
Fry on medium heat until golden and crispy. Serve with your favourite chutney.
Lexa’s Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
Comfort food deluxe from cupboard ingredients.
| 1 lg | onion, chopped |
| 3 cloves | garlic, peeled and chopped |
| 6 | tomatoes, chopped |
| 4 med | carrots, chopped |
| 2 c | pre-cooked green lentils |
| 2 c | pre-cooked rice |
| 3 T | soy sauce or Tamari |
| 3 T | cornmeal mixed with 2/3 c water |
| ¼ c | chopped parsley |
| 1 t | thyme |
| 1 c | peas (frozen is good) |
| 2 T | tomato paste |
| top with leftover mashed potatoes |
Pre-heat oven to 375ºF.
In a large pan, sauté the onions and garlic until limp, then add the tomatoes, carrots, lentils and rice. Sauté for another five minutes. Add the soy sauce and cornmeal mixture, then the parsley, thyme, peas and tomato paste. Cook for 10 minutes adding more water if the mixture is too dry. Transfer to a casserole and top with mashed potatoes. Bake until the mashed potatoes have begun to brown and the edges are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.Serves 6.
Pan-fried Cod with Lentils
First you make a lentil stew with aromatic vegetables and herbs. Then you cook a little pancetta or bacon, then pan fry four cod fillets. The recipe seems long, but it comes together quickly and uses mainly cupboard ingredients. The lentil stew could be used with roast salmon or a grilled pork chop too.
| 4 | cod fillets (skin on) |
| 300 g | green (Puy) lentils |
| 1 | bay leaf |
| 1 med | carrot, diced |
| 1 sm | onion, diced |
| 1 stick | celery, diced |
| 1 clove | garlic, crushed |
| 4 sprigs | fresh thyme |
| 2 strips | bacon or pancetta |
| butter or oil | |
| salt and fresh-cracked pepper | |
| parsley and lemon |
Put the lentils and bay leaf in enough cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, until lentils are just tender, 12-25 minutes. Drain and reserve ½-cup cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon until just crispy and drain excess fat, then chop coarsely. While the lentils and the bacon are cooking, melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium low heat, and stir in the carrot, celery, onion, garlic, thyme and salt. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the onions are pale gold, about 10 minutes. Remove lid and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the carrot is soft and onions are deep gold, 5 to 10 more minutes. Fish out the thyme sprig and add the lentils and the chopped bacon. Add reserved cooking liquid if necessary. Keep hot.
Pat the cod fillets dry and season. Heat the butter in a cast iron skillet. Place the skin side down in a moderately hot cast iron skillet and cook for about 4-6 minutes. Turn the fish over once and cook until just cooked through, another 2-3 minutes. Season. Just before serving, squeeze a quarter lemon over the lentils, stir in the parsley and check for seasoning. Spoon a mound of lentils on each plate and place the fish on top. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese and Pine Nuts
The warm dressing melts the goat cheese into the lentils, entirely satisfying. Adapted from a recipe by Bonnie Stern
| 2 c | brown or green lentils, picked over |
| 2 | bay leaves |
| ¼ c | extra-virgin olive oil |
| ¼ c | pine nuts |
| 1/3 c | soft goat cheese, crumbled |
| handful | parsley, chopped |
| 2 c | cleaned arugula (optional) |
Place the lentils and bay leaves in a large saucepan and add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring the lentils to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the lentils are tender but not falling apart, about 20 minutes. Drain in a colander and remove the bay.
Heat a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the pine nuts and toast carefully, stirring and tossing until they are evenly gold, 4 -5 minutes. Do not let them burn. Reserve.
While the lentils are cooking, prepare the warm shallots and vinaigrette.
Shallots
| 6 med | shallots, finely diced |
| 2 T | olive oil |
| ¼ c | red wine vinegar |
| ½ t | salt |
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the shallots and the salt. Reduce the heat to low and sauté until the shallots are caramelized, about 15-20 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the red wine vinegar and cook for another 3 minutes, or until the vinegar is absorbed. Remove from the heat and reserve warm.
Vinaigrette
| ¼ c | extra virgin olive oil |
| 2 T | red wine vinegar |
| 2 t | salt |
| ½ t | Dijon mustard |
| 2 t | fresh-cracked pepper |
| 1 clove | garlic, crushed |
Whisk together the vinegar, salt, mustard and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the ¼-cup of olive oil to emulsify. Add the crushed garlic and set aside. Just before using, remove the garlic from the vinaigrette.
To serve: arrange arugula on a large platter or individual plates if using. Gently stir the warm shallots and vinaigrette into the lentils. Place on the arugula and top with the goat cheese, toasted pine nuts and parsley. Serve immediately.
Serves 4-6.
Ottolenghi’s Mujadara
This popular Levantine dish is one of my childhood flavours. It evokes memories of heaps of this stuff being sold both in restaurants and by street vendors. Whether eaten hot or cold, the combination of sweet spices and bitter-sweet onion is as comforting as can be. Spoon over some Greek yogurt and tuck in but watch out—it’s not easy to stop. –Yotam Ottolenghi
| ½ c | sunflower oil |
| 4 med | onions, thinly sliced |
| 250 g | green or brown lentils |
| 2 t | cumin seeds |
| 1½ T | coriander seeds |
| 200 g | basmati rice |
| 2 T | olive oil |
| ½ t | ground turmeric |
| 1½ t | ground allspice |
| 1½ t | ground cinnamon |
| 1 t | sugar |
| salt and black pepper | |
| 350 ml | water |
Heat the sunflower oil in a medium-size heavy-based saucepan. When very hot, carefully add a third of the sliced onion. Fry for five to seven minutes, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, until the onion takes on a nice, golden-brown colour and turns crispy. Use the spoon to transfer the onion to a colander and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with two more batches of onion.
Meanwhile, put the lentils in a small saucepan and cover with plenty of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the lentils have softened but still have a little bite. Drain and reserve.
Wipe clean the saucepan in which you fried the onion and drop in the cumin and coriander seeds. Place over medium heat and toast the seeds for a minute or two, until they release those distinctive aromas. Add the rice, olive oil, turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, sugar, half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. Stir to coat the rice with oil, then add the cooked lentils and water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat, lift off the lid and cover the pan with a clean tea towel. Seal tightly with the lid and set aside for 10 minutes. Finally, tip the rice and lentils into a large mixing bowl. Add half the fried onion and stir gently with a fork. Pile up in a shallow serving bowl and top with the rest of the onion.
Serves four.