Warm Lentil Dip

The latest ingredient of the week for the Sunday Small Bites cooking group on slowtravel was lentils. Now these wee dried legumes weren't an ingredient that I was even familiar with until last year when I needed them for another cooking challenge posted by Kim.

I whined and complained about having to use lentils - convinced that I'd hate them. Yet I went ahead and made my lentil soup (after being soundly mocked for my anti-lentil behaviour by Paolo). Of course I discovered that I loved them (more mocking from Paolo) and we have made a number of other lentil recipes since then. Thanks kim!

'tis appropriate that lentils were selected as the ingredient of the week just prior to New Years as lentils are a food that represents luck and prosperity in Italy. The annual rite of consuming good luck food for New Year's Day is observed all over the world.  . . . exactly what you consume depends largely on where your ancestors came from and what was available there during the winter.  

In Italy, lentils are eaten as a symbol of good luck and prosperity because they resemble tiny coins.  Tuscans eat lentils with "Cotechino", a large pork sausage.  People in Bologna and Modena eat lentils with "Zampone", the same sausage mixture stuffed into the skin of a pig's foot.  In the Piedmont, little grains of rice symbolize money, so New Year's Day menus feature risotto and for added luck, a plate of beef or chicken would be served with spinach and lentils.  If you would like to add a "good luck" dish to your New Year's Day menu, you should consider cooking up some lentils.

Now I am always looking for more prosperity. Since increased prosperity would mean more money for travel I was pleased as anything to whip up some lentils. I decided to make a dip that is extremely healthy - no added sodium (if you use sodium-free tomatoes) and very little added fat. We discovered that it is also extremely tasty!

Warm Lentil Dip

2/3 cup red lentils
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons grated, fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
14 oz can diced tomatoes (we used 0 sodium)
1 tablespoon chopped, fresh cilantro

Wash the lentils under cold running water and drain well.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook over medium heat for 3 - 4 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent.

Add the turmeric, cumin, and lentils. Cook stirring for a minute until the mixture is fragrant. Add the water and the undrained tomatoes to the mixture and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are soft.

Cool the mixture slightly. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor and process until well combined. Add the cilantro, season, and process until combined.

Makes 2 cups

Comments

[Amy]

That looks great, Jerry.

[chiaro]

A fav. of ours as well. Friends & clients of DH are the owners.
They are also opening another restaurant in Waterloo County and have Spencer's in Burlington too.

[Robert]

Thanks for this - I love lentils and am always looking for something new to try with them. It never occured to me that they could be used as a dip.

[Eden]

Lentils for good luck! I must have some for New Year then. Thanks for the background information on Lentil.

[JDeQ]

This was a great dip. I've used it more than once since I posted this . . . varrying the spices a bit to mix it up. MMMM

Lots of New Year luck with all of these lentils.