Ethiopian inspired red lentil stew
We visited Asheville recently and the now-famous spicery, Spicewalla. Thanks Oprah! I am always seeking ways of imparting incredible flavor to food while keeping the natural flavors of the ingredients alive and not adding nutritionally bereft elements. Sometimes this is easy and sometimes not so much.
Adding fun spices is a great way to add flavor. I go through periods where I’ll have a favorite spice or spice mix and everything contains it. It’s amazing how different foods can take on different nuances with the same spices. Equally amazing is how the same dish can taste completely different with an adjustment of the spice mix.
So this recipe was inspired by the smells in the Spicewalla warehouse and by the spices that I bought there…which are: Sumac, Berbera, Chaat masala, Ancho chili powder and Himalayan pink salt. The fragrance in the warehouse was pungent and tangy in the most sensual way. We may not think of food and spice smells as sensual, but I do. Because I love food and the things we add to it that smell wonderful. Food taste, texture and smell are a very sensual experience for me. So maybe I should have named this ‘sensual’ Lentil Stew, eh? LOL
Ingredients:
2/3 block of a 14-oz. container of firm tofu, drained and cut into 2” cubes
1/2 Tbs. olive oil
1 small-medium onion, chopped
1/2 Tbs. minces garlic
1/2 c. red lentils
1 1/2 c. vegetable broth
1/2 Tbs. + 1 tsp Berbera spice mix
Juice of 2 limes
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes
1/3 of a 13.5 oz. can coconut milk
1/2 c. basmati rice
1 1/2 c. water
3 Tbs. chopped cilantro
2 Tbs. toasted pine nuts
Himalayan pink salt
Directions: Cook the red lentils in the vegetable broth according to the lentils’ package directions. This generally means combining the lentils with the broth, bringing to a boil and simmering until the lentils have absorbed the liquid but not burned.
Cook the basmati rice in the water according to package directions. If you want a slightly richer flavor you can add a teaspoon of olive oil or butter.
Note about draining tofu: Put it between paper towels with a heavy pan or pot on top for ~10 min. This will get enough water out so that it will brown on the outside and stay soft on the inside.
Saute the chopped onion with the olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat for 3 min until translucent. Add the garlic and cook 3 more min. Add the tofu cubes and cook, turning until each side of the cubes is golden brown. Add the spices and lime juice. Stir gently so as not to pulverize the tofu cubes.
Add the tomatoes to the onion and tofu mixture and heat through. Once the lentils are cooked, add them to the tomato mixture. Simmer 5-8 min to allow the flavors to meld. Serve over rice. Sprinkle a pinch of the pink salt across the top.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and pine nuts.
There are many variations available for this recipe. Here are just a few ideas.
Omit the tofu and add chicken or chickpeas
Instead of the tofu, use cubed sweet potatoes. If using sweet potatoes, I would suggest adjusting the spices to include cinnamon. You can omit the Berbera and sub 1 stp. Garam masala + 1 Tbs honey and add 1/2 c. more coconut milk.
Omit the cilantro and garnish with just the pine nuts or substitute flat-leaf parsley for the cilantro
