Anything But Corn-Fed: Healthy College Cooking in Rural Iowa

This is another recipe I found on Lisa’s Kitchen food blog. After you cook the lentils it is very quick and easy to make. It is very tart and flavorful and makes a better side dish than entree. It would go well with another mellower wot and a grain like rice or bread or, if you can track some down, injera.

Last winter break I participated in Hillel’s Alternative Break in Israel and worked with Jewish Ethiopian immigrants at a mercaz klitah (absorption center) near Afula. We had the opportunity to celebrate with the community and ate a feast of wot (stew), injera (fermented flatbread… definitely an acquired taste as it is very sour), and coffee. We didn’t have this exact dish but it still makes me a bit nostalgic!

I added a diced roma tomato and diced onion to this recipe and ate it warm.

Ethiopian Lentil and Mustard Salad

1 cup green lentils
2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
juice of 2 lemons
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 large jalapeño peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch long matchsticks

Wash the lentils and put into a medium saucepan with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn down the heat to low and cover, cooking gently for 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Drain and set aside to let cool.
Add the mustard seeds, peppercorns, salt and cayenne into a clean coffee or spice grinder and grind finely. Put into a small bowl and mix well with 2 tablespoons of boiling water. Now add the lemon juice and olive oil and stir in well.
Pour the jalapeño peppers and dressing over the lentils and toss thoroughly. Serve warm or chilled. Serves 4 to 6.