Moroccan Spiced Lentils, Caramelized Onions and Eggs
A vegetarian alternative in the shakshouka family, a one-pot meal full of nutrition and taste. The aromas of turmeric, cumin and onion will ensure your diners ask for this often. Use canned or dried lentils and have plenty of crusty bread on hand to sop up the juices. This recipe is adapted from Epicurious, with more options for serving.
More vegetarian or vegan options: White Bean Shakshouka, Fall-Apart Caramelized Cabbage, Summer Squash or Zucchini Galette, Asparagus Galette, Squash with Nutmeg, Spinach and Cheese, Curry Marinated Summer Squash, Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust, Herby Grain Salad with Butter-Basted Mushrooms, Crispy Chickpeas with Lemon/Garlic Yogurt, Roasted Chickpea and Vegetable Salad, Roasted Mushrooms with Braised Lentils, Warm Lentils and Potato Salad, Walnut or Almond Pesto Pasta, Pasta with Hazelnut Pesto and Parmesan Paneer with Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce. Back to Main Dishes.
Makes: 4 servings
TIME 45 minutes
Ingredients
3-4 cups of cooked lentils (1 cup dried lentils = 2 1/2 cups cooked lentils) OR canned lentils OR canned lentil soup
1 onion, sliced
olive oil, as needed
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper or chilli pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, olive oil or ghee
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds or ground cumin
Kosher salt and pepper
Parsley (optional)
Feta cheese (optional)
Method
If using the oven to cook the eggs, preheat the oven to 350.
If using dried lentils, cook in twice the amount of water (or chicken broth) until the lentils are tender, about 20-30 minutes, Keep the liquid.
In a medium-sized oven-safe pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the thinly slicked onion and 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt. Cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
Add the turmeric, cumin and chilli pepper or pepper flakes to the onion. Stir. Add the tomato paste. cook and stir constantly until the onions are coated and the tomato paste has darkened slightly, about 2 minutes.
Add 1/3 cup water to the pan. Stir and scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan for 1-2 minutes or until the liquid looks thickened and saucy.
Add the lentils (with the liquid) to the tomato/onion mixture. Stir and season with salt pepper and chilli pepper as desired.
With a spoon, create a well in the lentils and crack eggs into the spaces. Either cover and cook until the eggs are poached through (2-4 minutes) or cover and put the pan into the oven until the egg whites are set (about 10 minutes).
While the eggs are cooking, melt the butter or warm the olive oil or ghee over medium heat in a saucepan. Add 1/2 teaspoon or more cumin seeds or dried cumin. Swirl the pan until the seeds sizzle and brown, 30 seconds to 1 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
Drizzled the finished eggs with the butter mixture, season further with salt and pepper. If desired, garnish with parsley.
Optional toppings: Crumble feta cheese on top of the lentils and eggs, a la shakshouka.
A vegetarian alternative in the shakshouka family, a one-pot meal full of nutrition and taste. The aromas of turmeric, cumin and onion will ensure your diners ask for this often. Use canned or dried lentils and have plenty of crusty bread on hand to sop up the juices. This recipe is adapted from Epicurious, with more options for serving.
More vegetarian or vegan options: White Bean Shakshouka, Fall-Apart Caramelized Cabbage, Summer Squash or Zucchini Galette, Asparagus Galette, Squash with Nutmeg, Spinach and Cheese, Curry Marinated Summer Squash, Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust, Herby Grain Salad with Butter-Basted Mushrooms, Crispy Chickpeas with Lemon/Garlic Yogurt, Roasted Chickpea and Vegetable Salad, Roasted Mushrooms with Braised Lentils, Warm Lentils and Potato Salad, Walnut or Almond Pesto Pasta, Pasta with Hazelnut Pesto and Parmesan Paneer with Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce. Back to Main Dishes.
Makes: 4 servings
TIME 45 minutes
Ingredients
3-4 cups of cooked lentils (1 cup dried lentils = 2 1/2 cups cooked lentils) OR canned lentils OR canned lentil soup
1 onion, sliced
olive oil, as needed
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper or chilli pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, olive oil or ghee
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds or ground cumin
Kosher salt and pepper
Parsley (optional)
Feta cheese (optional)
Method
If using the oven to cook the eggs, preheat the oven to 350.
If using dried lentils, cook in twice the amount of water (or chicken broth) until the lentils are tender, about 20-30 minutes, Keep the liquid.
In a medium-sized oven-safe pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the thinly slicked onion and 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt. Cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
Add the turmeric, cumin and chilli pepper or pepper flakes to the onion. Stir. Add the tomato paste. cook and stir constantly until the onions are coated and the tomato paste has darkened slightly, about 2 minutes.
Add 1/3 cup water to the pan. Stir and scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan for 1-2 minutes or until the liquid looks thickened and saucy.
Add the lentils (with the liquid) to the tomato/onion mixture. Stir and season with salt pepper and chilli pepper as desired.
With a spoon, create a well in the lentils and crack eggs into the spaces. Either cover and cook until the eggs are poached through (2-4 minutes) or cover and put the pan into the oven until the egg whites are set (about 10 minutes).
While the eggs are cooking, melt the butter or warm the olive oil or ghee over medium heat in a saucepan. Add 1/2 teaspoon or more cumin seeds or dried cumin. Swirl the pan until the seeds sizzle and brown, 30 seconds to 1 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
Drizzled the finished eggs with the butter mixture, season further with salt and pepper. If desired, garnish with parsley.
Optional toppings: Crumble feta cheese on top of the lentils and eggs, a la shakshouka.