I have had quite a difficult time finding good bulk lentils. Especially in rural Wisconsin. So, I've been slowly going through them until there is almost nothing left! And I have finally reached the end of my pantry and must do something with the black lentils. Now, don't get me wrong. I like black lentils. They have a robust, earthy flavor and, unlike some softer lentil varieties, they keep their shape and don't break down while cooking. So, it wasn't that I was avoiding them. It was that I was saving them for something worthy of using up the last of my lentil stockpile! Especially since I don't know when I'm going to be able to find them again.
Trying to live up to the expectation of my black lentils, I thought that I would do something new. I've been on an Ethiopian kick lately and wanted to keep with that general theme. I tend to do this. I’ll eat Mexican food for weeks on end with burritos and enchiladas and hot sauces. Then, I’ll switch to Thai food and make pad Thai and curry for the next couple of weeks. And then I’ll switch to British food with fish fries and savory pies.
So, my thing of the month this time around is Ethiopian food! It’s maybe one of my favorite foods. I’m constantly putting ginger, fenugreek, cumin, and other components of berbere spice mixes. I am a huge fan of dal and wat. Although that is roughly the culinary equivalent of saying that “I like lentils!” But still, I do like Ethiopian lentils and I have cherry tomatoes, garlic, and a good portion of what goes into berbere. So, I decided to go this route of an almost citrusy black lentil dish.
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Variations of Black Lentils
Lentils are one of my favorite foods. They're quick and easy to make. All you have to do is toss them into a rice cooker and voila! Roughly 40 minutes later food is ready. No fuss, no muss.
This Ethiopian-inspired lentil dish is a combination of berbere spice ingredients, tomatoes, garlic, and black lentils. It's roughly based on the idea of making a kind of Doro Wat, with the final meal being a Black Lentil, Hardboiled Egg, & Tomato Salad. I simply puréed the seasonings to create a smooth and then cooked everything together in a rice cooker. Which, quite frankly, is the easiest way to make lentils! I will never go back to the stovetop again. Nothing is as satisfying as simply tossing a bunch of ingredients into a pot and coming back in about 45 minutes to a perfectly cooked meal. Black lentils are also incredibly forgiving. They're a sturdier lentil that can withstand cooking without breaking apart or worrying about overcooking. The spice blend also pairs incredibly well with the robust and earthy nature of the black lentils. You can easily eat as is, or pair the lentils with a few other touches to make a delicious side dish or meal.
I used Fresh Turmeric in Olive Oil. You can easily substitute dried turmeric. But there is something particularly refreshing about fresh turmeric! And, if you can find it, mincing it and preserving in olive oil is the key to longevity.
Add ginger, garlic, and cherry tomatoes to a food processor. Purée for 30 seconds, or until smooth.This is optional. You can dice them if you prefer. I'm not necessarily a fan of the stringiness of ginger and this resolves that problem while also creating more of a sauce.
Cook Lentils
Add all of the ingredients to a rice cooker (tomato purée with ginger and garlic, turmeric, red onion, spices, salt, pepper, lentils, and water).
Grind whole cloves, cumin, and fenugreek in a mortar and pestle.A lot of the time I prefer whole spices and grinding them in a mortar and pestle. I used whole cloves, cumin, and fenugreek. You can easily substitute ground spices and mix and match whatever you have on hand. A lot of the time berbere also includes dried chilis, garlic, onion, turmeric, ginger, peppercorns, allspice, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, etc. I used several of these ingredients already in the recipe, didn't have them in whole spices, or felt like they were redundant. Part of cooking is making what you have and what you like work for you! So, feel free to mix it up to your own needs and tastes.
Press the cook button on the rice cooker. While lentils aren't rice, it does cook the same and oftentimes better than rice in a rice cooker. It typically takes 30-45 minutes.
When the lentils is fully cooked, fluff with a wooden spoon and serve.Do not use a fork or other metal utensil. It will scratch off the nonstick surface on the rice cooker. This will leach teflon into your food and cause future dishes to stick to the bottom!
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