Yotam Ottolenghi’s Crushed Puy Lentils with Tahini and Cumin
A flavoursome twist on hummus from Yotam Ottolenghi, these lentils are best served with warm pitta bread for a light dinner or hearty working-from-home lunch.
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Introduction
This recipe has been through various incarnations before ending up uncannily similar to one of the typical Arab hummus variations I am used to from my childhood: warm hummus, topped with whole soft chickpeas and served with raw onion and hard-boiled egg. Here it is made with lentils and tomatoes but, essentially, we are talking about a similar set of hearty flavours that can set you up nicely for a busy day, or be served as an early supper. For a dairy-free option, substitute the butter with more olive oil. Serve this with a pitta and nothing else
Ingredients
| 200g | Puy lentils |
| 30g | unsalted butter |
| 2 tbsp | olive oil, plus extra for drizzling |
| 3 | garlic cloves, crushed |
| 1 tsp | ground cumin |
| 4 | medium tomatoes, blanched, skinned and cut into 1cm dice (330g) |
| 25g | coriander, chopped |
| 60g | tahini paste |
| 2 tbsp | lemon juice |
| ⅓ | small red onion, thinly sliced (25g) |
| 2 | hard-boiled eggs, quartered |
| ½ tsp | paprika, to garnish (optional) |
| salt and black pepper |
Method
Bring a medium pan of water to the boil. Add the lentils and cook for 20–30 minutes or until completely cooked. Drain and set aside.
Put the butter and oil in a large sauté pan and place on a medium–high heat. Once the butter melts, add the garlic and cumin and cook for about a minute. Add the tomatoes, 20g of the coriander and the cooked lentils. Continue to cook and stir for a couple of minutes before adding the tahini, lemon juice and 70ml of water, along with 1 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Lower to a medium heat and continue to stir and cook gently for about 5 minutes, until hot and thickened. Using a potato masher, roughly mash the lentils a little so that some are broken up and you get a thick porridge consistency.
Spread the lentils on a flat serving plate and sprinkle with the onion, remaining coriander and a final drizzle of olive oil. Serve warm with the hard-boiled eggs alongside and a sprinkle of paprika, if using.
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