Madhurs Green Lentils With Lemon Slices Recipes

LENTILS WITH LEMON

Steps:

• Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the lentils until tender, 20 to 45 minutes. Check often because the cooking time varies depending on the age of the lentils. Drain and set aside. In a medium-size non-reactive skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat, then cook the Swiss chard until it wilts, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and drain off any liquid. Set aside. In the same skillet heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cilantro and cook until sizzling, 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium, add the Swiss chard, drained lentils and water and cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the lemon juice and pomegranate molasses and continue cooking until the lentils look mushy, about another 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle a small amount of olive oil over it before serving.

GREEN LENTILS WITH ROASTED BEETS AND PRESERVED LEMON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Reserve 1 beet for garnish and cut the remaining 4 into 1/2-inch cubes. Toss the cubes with a teaspoon of oil, season with salt and pepper and bake 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, place the lentils, carrot, onion, bay leaf, parsley, thyme and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small pot and add water to cover the lentils by about 3/4 of an inch. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, until the lentils are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Discard the herbs, drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
• To make the vinaigrette, combine the lemon juice, zest, shallot and 1/4 teaspoon salt and let stand for 15 minutes. Whisk in the olive oil and season to taste with pepper and more salt if necessary.
• To assemble the salad, quarter the lemon and scrape out the soft pulp. Finely chop the pulp and stir 2 teaspoons into the vinaigrette. Finely chop the lemon skin and add it, along with the vinaigrette, roasted beets, parsley and chopped mint, to the lentils. Toss and serve on a platter. Grate the reserved beet and use it for garnish with mint sprigs.

LENTIL SOUP WITH LEMON

Steps:

• Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook until the onion has turned golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, kosher salt, black pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon of chili powder. Cook and stir 2 minutes more until the spices are fragrant.
• Stir in the chicken broth, lentils, and carrot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils are soft, about 30 minutes.
• Pour half of the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot. Do not puree all of the soup, leave it a little chunky.
• Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro, then season to taste with salt. Drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of chili powder to serve.

MADHUR'S GREEN LENTILS WITH LEMON SLICES

Steps:

• Bring lentils and 3 cups water to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Cook, partially covered, until very tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Stir in salt and cilantro; remove from heat. Add 8 lemon slices; stir to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl; set aside.
• Heat oil in a small saute pan over medium-high heat; add mustard seeds. After a few seconds, seeds should begin to pop; add chiles. When chiles have darkened, add garlic; stir to combine. Top lentils with mustard seed mixture.