Lebanese cooked Lentils in lemon garlic sauce
Recipe:
1 cup uncooked brown lentils
2 cups water (for cooking)
1 tsp garlic, crushed or 1 large garlic clove
1 lemon, juiced
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
4 tbsp olive oil, for drizzle
Optional toppings: diced tomato, green onion, green pepper, white onion, mint.
We put a side dish of vegetables to eat with this dish. This dish is eaten using pita bread to scoop similar to eating hummus.
Directions:
Soak lentils in a cooking pot of water and let it sit for 30 minutes to soften. Do not put it on the heat yet. Then drain the lentils from the water and add 2 cups of clean hot water.
Put the pot of lentils with the water covered with a lid over the heat and boil for 15-20 minutes. You know the lentils are cooked when you hold a piece of lentils between your fingers and you mash it and it’s soft. Make sure you don’t over cook the lentils to avoid having a “mushy” dish. Note: if your lentils aren’t soft yet and the water is drying out, then add 1/2 cup of water.
The water in the cooked pot of lentils should have reduced. Do not discard the starchy water, it’s part of the dish.
In a separate bowl, add the crushed garlic, lemon juice, cooked lentils (with its water), salt, and minced cilantro. Mix well.
Top with olive oil and add a side dish of your favorite vegetables.
This dish is enjoyed with pita bread. You dip or scoop the lentils into the pita bread and eat it using your hands. Please refer to video below!
