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Lentilles de Cilaos
Mountain lentils
Lantiy Silaos: Réunion's small mountain lentils simmered with onion, garlic, thyme and tomato
High in the volcanic cirque of Cilaos, farmers grow tiny brown-green lentils on terraces, and the whole island prizes them: they hold their shape, taste nutty and mineral, and turn up beside every kind of cari, with a mound of white rice and a spoon of rougail. The village holds a lentil festival each autumn, and a pot of lentilles is a fixture of family Sunday lunches across Réunion. Outside the island, use small French green or brown lentils, which behave in the same way. Don't let them boil hard; a fierce boil splits the skins and turns the pot into mush, so keep it at a gentle bubble. Chef's tip: take the time to brown the onions properly before the lentils go in, because that slow, sweet browning is what gives the sauce its depth.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 14 oz Cilaos lentils, or small green or brown lentilspicked over and rinsed
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 onionsfinely chopped
- 5 cloves garliccrushed
- ⅓ oz fresh gingercrushed
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 3 tomatoeschopped
- 1 green chillislit
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 handful flat-leaf parsley (optional)chopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy pot over a medium heat and fry 2 onions, stirring often, until deep golden brown and sweet.
12 minStep 2: Add 5 cloves garlic, ⅓ oz fresh ginger, 4 sprigs fresh thyme and ½ tsp ground turmeric and fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
1 minStep 3: Add 3 tomatoes and 1 green chilli and cook until the tomatoes break down into a thick sauce and the oil glistens on top.
6 minStep 4: Stir in 14 oz Cilaos lentils, or small green or brown lentils and 1 bay leaf, then pour in 1.2 litres of water. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer and partly cover.
5 minStep 5: Simmer, stirring now and then and adding a splash of hot water if it gets thick, until the lentils are tender but whole and the liquid has turned into a thick, spoonable sauce.
30 minStep 6: Stir in 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper and simmer for 2 more minutes. Remove the bay and thyme stalks, scatter with 1 handful flat-leaf parsley and serve with white rice.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 44 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 12 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lentilles de Cilaos take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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