Hearty lentil stew with a secret ingredient
Ingredients
- 500 g dry green lentils ( no need to soak lentils)
- 1 small onion
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 piece lemon rind
- 3 tbsp flour
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tbsp prepared mustard
- 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
- 1.5 L water
- 1.5 tsp salt
- ground pepper
Instructions
- Rinse lentils in water, and remove dust and debris. No need to soak lentils prior cooking.
- In a large saucepan add the lentils, whole onion (or a quarter of a large onion), minced garlic, bay leaves, one piece of lemon rind (whole, not grated!), salt, pepper, and water. Bring to boil, and let it simmer covered for about 15-20 minutes, until lentils are tender.
- In the meantime in a small bowl whisk together the flour, milk and mustard.
- Once the lentils are tender, remove and discard the onion, lemon rind, and bay leaves.
- Add 3-5 tbsp of hot water from the lentils to the flour mix and stir. Remove the lentils from the heat, let them cool for a few minutes, add the flour-mustard mixture and stir. Put the saucepan back on medium heat, and cook it for another 3-4 more minutes while stirring. Add the lemon juice or vinegar, and more salt, pepper, mustard if needed.
- Garnish with a hard boiled egg and/or wieners and fresh bread for a hearty Hungarian meal!
Notes
You can use canned lentils instead of dry ones. In that case rinse it in fresh water to reduce the sodium content.
Add the salt after the lentils are cooked, as adding it before can make the lentils tough.
To add a smokey flavour, cook a piece of smoked meat (small piece of duck breast for example) before you add the lentils to the water. Make sure to soak the meat before to reduce the sodium content. Use only a smaller piece not to overwhelm the stew with the smokey flavour. Remove the meat once it is cooked, cut into smaller pieces, and serve on the side, or on top of the stew.
Instead of milk you can use sour cream or cream. If the mix is too thick, use some cold water to dilute it, and then add some hot liquid from the lentils.
The reason to add some hot liquid to the flour mix is to avoid getting flour lumps in the stew.
This meal keeps well for several days in the refrigerator. If the stew is too thick the next day, just add a bit of milk or water to it when reheating it.
It is really up to you how much mustard and lemon juice/vinegar you use. If you like it more sour, add a bit more of the juice. If it needs some more "character", add more mustard to the stew. Feel free to experiment and find your own favourite balance of flavours.
Serve it as it is, or with hard boiled eggs, boiled frankfurters, fresh bread.