LENTIL, CHICKPEA, AND SPINACH STEW

This is a healthy and flavor packed Middle Eastern stew. Cumin, cinnamon, coriander, and cardamom are combined with onions, carrots and garlic. Add some lentils, chickpeas, spinach, and tomatoes and you have a hearty one pot meal in no time.

This weeks Food Matters Project recipe was Dal with Lots of Vegetables. Anita from Cooking Poetry chose our recipe and she made four different Indian dishes! Check out her blog and what she made here.

Mark Bittman's recipe inspired me to make this stew. We loved this!

To see what the other members made this week click here.

LENTIL, CHICKPEA, AND SPINACH STEW

Olive oil
1 medium onion
2 large carrots
3-5 large garlic cloves
3 teaspoons each of cardamom and coriander
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 scant teaspoon cumin
1 scant teaspoon allspice
1 cinnamon stick (optional)
1 ½ cups lentils (brown or yellow preferred)
4-5 cups filtered water
1 28 ounce can of peeled, whole tomatoes
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
14-16 ounces cooked chickpeas (either canned or pre-cooked)
2 cups fresh spinach

Heat olive oil over a low flame in a large soup pot. As the oil heats, peel and chop the onions and carrots.   

 Raise the heat of the pan to medium. Add the onions and carrots and stir well to begin cooking them. Cook for about five minutes, stirring often, until softened.
     
 Lower the flame to low. Add the garlic and spices and stir well. When the spices’ aroma begins to bloom (in about 30-60 seconds), remove the pan from heat immediately and turn off the heat. Cook for 30 seconds to one minute more.
     
 Add the lentils, canned tomatoes, cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper and water to the pot. Break up the tomatoes and stir everything together really well.

   
 Return pot to burner, and bring to a boil. Once stew is boiling, drop the flame down to low and cook for 20-30 minutes more, or until both carrots and lentils are tender.
   
 Add the pre-cooked chickpeas. (If using canned, be sure to strain the liquid and rinse the chickpeas).
     
To finish, turn off the flame and add the spinach. The residual heat will wilt the spinach, leaving it a bright green color without overcooking it.


Recipe from West of Persia