Lenten Lentils, Oaxacan-Style

"These unusual, luscious lentils are a traditional Lenten meal of Oaxaca, Mexico. Pineapple, plantain, cloves and allspice give this dish a tropical feel - plus there's plenty of garlic for zip. Garnish with fried plantain slices."
 
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photo by Geniale Genie photo by Geniale Genie
photo by Geniale Genie
Ready In:
1hr 15mins
Ingredients:
12
Serves:
4
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ingredients

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directions

  • Bring lentils and water to a boil, with 2 halved garlic cloves and 1/2 white onion.
  • Reduce heat, then cover and simmer over low heat about 20 minutes or until lentils are tender but not mushy.
  • Drain and reserve lentil cooking liquid.
  • At this point, I like to fish out the garlic halves but leave the onion, which breaks down in the lentils.
  • Season with salt.
  • Heat oil in large saucepan and saute chopped white onion and the 2 minced garlic cloves until onion is soft.
  • Add plantain, pineapple and tomatoes; cook until plantain is soft, anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes.
  • Add lentils and some reserved lentil cooking liquid.
  • Continue cooking until mixture thickens a little; add more cooking liquid or even some vegetable or chicken broth if necessary so lentils aren't dry.
  • Serve garnished with fried plantain slices.

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Reviews

  1. This is an a-maz-ing recipe! I did the lazy-man's version and I just threw the chopped onion, minced garlic, small Dupuy lentils, pineapple, plantain, spices, 2 cups of tomato juice, and 1 cup of water in a heavy pot and simmered (covered) for about 45 min.
     
  2. This is sooooooooooo good! I try to include a fair amount of healthy-yet-tasty meals into my rotation when menu planning, but usually they fall flat. This one was an absolute hit! It's a nice, subtle spicy lentil dish, and the pineapple/plantains add a bit of sweetness to it. Just a teaspoon of salt accentuates the spicy-sweet flavors. I served it on top of portions of steamed white rice, and it was very well received! Thanks for the recipe!
     
  3. Wow. This is so good and different. I really like the complexity of the flavors. Thanks for posting.
     
  4. We loved this, I've made it twice. We're trying heart-healthy foods, and this was perfect. Tasty and different from the usual lentil soup.
     
  5. Nice recipe for a lentils that's a little different than usual. I liked the sweet flavor that the pineapple and plantian give it. I forgot to add the allspice and cloves when I cooked it, but will add to the leftovers. The directions don't say when to put them in.
     
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