Spiced Red Lentil Dip With Pita Crisps

dicentra's Note:

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2002

• Total Time: 20 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 10

Dip

• 1 cup dried small red lentil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground caraway seed
• 1⁄8; teaspoon ground red pepper
• 3 garlic cloves , minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Pita Crisps

• 4 (6 inch) pita bread , each cut into 5 wedges
• cooking spray
• 1⁄8; teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1⁄8; teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare dip, place lentils and bay leaf in a large saucepan; cover with water to 2 inches above lentils. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Discard bay leaf.
3. Heat oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and nuts; saute 5 minutes or until nuts are lightly browned.
4. Stir in tomato paste and next 6 ingredients (tomato paste through garlic); cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in juice. Combine lentils and onion mixture in a food processor; process until smooth.
6. To prepare pita crisps, coat 1 side of each pita wedge with cooking spray; sprinkle wedges evenly with 1/8 teaspoon salt and black pepper.
7. Arrange wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until golden.

Reviews

[threeovens]

Very nice dip that went well with everything on my Mediterranean meze platter! Despite the name, it is not spicy, but it does have nice flavor to complement everything from flatbread or toasted pita wedges to gyro meat or souvlaki! I think I may have cooked the lentils overlong because there was nothing to drain. Also, if you make the pita crisps, they are just cut into wedges (not split, like I did), or they may burn.