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4.2 from 51 votes

Crushed Lentils with Tahini and Cumin

Crushed Lentils with Tahini and Cumin ~ if you love hummus, you might want to try this warm lentil appetizer from Yotam Ottolenghi ~ this Middle Eastern dip has lots of flavor and texture!

Calories: 27935 kcal
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Ingredients

  • 1 cup small green Puy lentils look for the smaller ones, sometimes called French lentils, not the regular ones
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • scant 2 cups finely diced tomatoes
  • a full cup of cilantro leaves or as many as you can muster
  • 1/4 cup tahini paste
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice I used one lemon
  • Salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/3 small red onion sliced very thinly
  • 4 eggs hard boiled
garnish
  • hot smoked paprika regular paprika, or sumac
  • A good drizzle of olive oil

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the lentils. Turn down the heat a bit and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the lentil are just cooked. The small Puy lentils don't get mushy like regular brown lentils do. Drain the lentils and set aside.
  2. In a large skillet melt the butter and add the olive oil. Add the garlic and cumin to the pan and stir for about a minute.
  3. Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan, along with about half of the cilantro, and the lentils. Stir to combine, and let it cook for a minute.
  4. Stir in the tahini, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of salt and lots of fresh ground pepper. Let cook gently, for about 5 minutes.
  5. Note: Ottolenghi adds a little water to the pan, I didn't need it. He also says to mash the lentils with a potato masher at this point. I didn't do that, I preferred the texture of the soft but whole lentils. It's your call.
  6. Serve the lentils hot, sprinkled with the sliced onion and the rest of the cilantro, along with the cooked eggs. Drizzle with olive oil and dust with paprika. Eat with pita bread.

Notes

  • recipe (with minor changes) from Plenty More

Nutrition Information

Calories 279.35kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 21.93g (7%) Protein 12.18g (24%) Fat 17.08g (26%) Saturated Fat 4.79g (24%) Sodium 384.87mg (16%) Fiber 5.37g (21%) Sugar 3.01g (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 27935

% Daily Value*

Calories 279.35kcal 14%
Carbohydrates 21.93g 7%
Protein 12.18g 24%
Fat 17.08g 26%
Saturated Fat 4.79g 24%
Sodium 384.87mg 16%
Fiber 5.37g 21%
Sugar 3.01g 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.