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Burrito w/ Black Lentils & Sautéed Spinach

Burrito w/ Black Lentils & Sautéed Spinach

This black lentil burrito utilizes an Ethiopian flavor profile in what is a fusion of spiced lentils, sautéed spinach, and tzatziki. There is sometimes nothing better than a fusion burrito and this Ethiopian-inspired one is absolutely delectable. Truly one of my favorite recipes at the moment! For when you're still feeling like burritos, but want to mix things up a little bit.
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Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Ethiopian, Mexican
Servings 1 serving

Equipment

  • Skillet w/ Lid (Preferably Cast Iron)
  • Stovetop

Ingredients
  

Black Lentils

  • 1/2 tsp. turmeric fresh
  • 1 tsp. ginger fresh
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 12 cherry tomatoes
  • 1/4 red onion
  • dash cloves whole
  • dash cumin whole
  • dash fenugreek whole
  • dash coriander
  • dash allspice
  • dash paprika
  • dash salt
  • dash pepper
  • 1 ¼ c. black lentils
  • 3 c. water

Sautéed Spinach

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp. ginger fresh, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 yellow onion roughly chopped
  • 1 lbs. spinach (~3 cups)
  • dash cumin
  • dash coriander
  • dash salt
  • dash pepper
  • 1/4 c. olive oil

Tzatziki

  • 1/2 English cucumber (or 1 smaller cucumber), grated
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 2 c. Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • dash salt

Burrito

  • 1/3 c. black lentils
  • 1/4 c. sautéed spinach
  • splash water
  • 1 tortilla shell
  • 1/4 avocado sliced
  • dollop tzatziki (optional, omit or substitute for vegan recipe)
  • dollop hot sauce of choice (optional)

Instructions
 

Prepare Ingredients

  • Prepare Lentils w/ Ginger & Turmeric. This takes less than an hour and requires a rice cooker or stove. You can also easily create a different flavor profile or utilize the produce that you have on hand. I almost always keep a batch of quinoa in the fridge for exactly this purpose.
  • Cook Sautéed Spinach w/ Garlic & Ginger. This takes about 20 minutes and requires a food processor (optional) and stovetop.
  • I also used Tzatziki w/ English Cucumbers in this recipe. This takes about 15 minutes and requires a fine cheese grater.

Cook Tortilla

  • Preheat the pan on medium-high. If you aren't using cast iron, make sure to lightly oil the pan to prevent sticking.
  • Wet both sides of the tortilla and add to the preheated pan. Cook for 4-6 minutes, or until the bottom begins to brown.
  • Remove the tortilla from heat and turn the stove off. Add toppings and fold the burrito.
  • Turn the stove back up to medium and add the tortilla to the skillet immediately, before it preheats. Cook for about 4 minutes, or until the bottom begins to brown. Rotate until all sides are cooked.
    The first side will likely take longer to cook than the subsequent sides, which may toast in as little as 2 minutes. Adjust the temperature if it's cooking too quickly and burning or too slowly and cracking.
  • Top with avocado, tzatziki, and hot sauce of choice. Omit or substitute with a vegan alternative for an entirely animal-product free recipe.
  • Serve immediately.

Tips, Tricks, & Notes

  • For a more in-depth article on burritos, check out my article on The Fundamentals of Making Burritos. I highly suggest using cast iron and there is precise temperature that works best for cooking at that may vary slightly depending on your stovetop and type of skillet. If you're having trouble rolling the burrito without cracking, there are solutions for this as well!