Spicy Lentils and Plantain
So, I’m starting off this new recipe series with “Spicy Lentils and Plantain”. This is a recipe I have adapted the recipe from the cookbook “Death by Burrito” - my autobiography.
Eating this left me crying, but going back for more. Really very confusing. The spiciness of the lentils is offset by the sweetness of the fried plantain. If you’ve never had fried plantain before, my god. Stop reading. RUN to the nearest grocer. Get some plantain and come back and thank me. Fried plantain is just amazing.
I had the lentils and plantain on a bed of brown rice, with a dollop of yoghurt on top to cool my mouth down after. It was divine.
Ingredients / Serves 2
Let’s begin with what you’re going to need:
- 2 Bay leaves
- 150g Puy/Dark Green lentils o
- 500ml water
- 1 scotch bonnet x
- 100ml tomato puree
- 20g caster sugar i
- 25g coriander
- 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 1 plantain
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
Substitutions:
x - Original recipe calls for dried ancho chillies. They’re obscure to find in shops, however you can get them online at (link: http://www.mexgrocer.co.uk/home.php text:MexGrocer ) or (link: http://www.coolchile.co.uk/ text:Cool Chile ). Both are online Mexican grocers that deliver around the UK.
i - If you want to cut the calories you can use sweetner instead. The sugar is just there to add sweetness. Nothing more.
Notes:
o - Puy, dark green, black, brown lentils all yield near enough the same result. In some places they’re just called lentils and it’s only the red or yellow variety that are titled as such.
Method
1. Put the bay leaves, lentils and water inro a pan and cook for 30 minutes on medium-high. You want it simmering but not boiling the whole time, tender at the end but still with a bite.
2. In a blender, place the chillies, tomato puree, sugar and coriander and blitz until a smooth paste is formed. Add a little bit of water to get a salsa-like consistency.
3. In a pan, heat the oil over medium heat and place the plantain slices, cooking for 3-4 minutes each side until golden brown.
4. Once the planntain has fried, remove them and fry off the onions and garlic until browned and fragrant.
5. Once the lentils have cooked, add them to the onions and garlic, add some of the sauce and top with plantains.
Notes:
1. If your lentils start drying out, just add some more water to keep it going.
2. If you use a dried ancho chilli, steep it in boiling water first and deseed.
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Nutrition per serving
Calories: 586 kcal
Fat: 22g
Protein: 21g
Carbs: 81g
Fiber: 12g
Verdict
Aside from using 1 too many scotch bonnets, this was simply and utterly delicious. I’m a huge lentil fan because they’re so ridiculously versatile. You can have them on rice, with couscous, with bread, in a burrito, on their own. They’re just amazing.
Would I make this again? Definitely. Next time though I’m going to try and get my hands on some ancho chillies rather than using a scotch bonnet. That might make it even better.
As everyone knows, I’m a huge burrito fan. There was a phase where I ate burritos consistenly every day for a month or so. Next time I’ll put the lentils in a burrito, with some refried beans, and coriander and lime rice. When that day comes, expect that recipe.
Aside
I mean, talk about a hiatus. A spate of issues - time, money, holidays - have left me somewhat bare on the blogging front. If I haven’t made anything what am I to post?
And let’s get real here, Ramsay’s recipes are some of the most expensive things I’ve cooked. I’ve bought so many new things, spent frivolous money on ingredients, and some of the stuff is just obscure. I haven’t stopped though.
But, whilst I recover, I’ve been planning on posting my simple daily recipes. Something all of you can cook, just to stave the appetite a bit.