Yet another Cupboard Challenge brought some really great recipes and ideas; we want to eat lentils every night this week! Lentil pancakes or fried patties were tempting, but ultimately we went with this creamy spread.
This is extremely quick; cook the lentils until soft, then puree with yogurt. Depending on how long you cook them they don't get completely mushy, so there are soft nubs of lentils that form a delicious texture throughout this creamy, tangy dip with the aroma of rosemary. Bring crackers, toast, or veggies with a bowl of this for a great work lunch!
Lentil and Yogurt Spread
makes about 2 cups
1 cup lentils
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/4 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
2 1/2 cups water or broth
3/4 cup whole milk plain yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste
Wash the lentils and drain until the water runs off clear instead of clouded. Set aside. Heat butter in a medium saucepan and cook the onion and garlic until soft and golden. Add the rosemary and lentils and stir. Add the water or broth and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the lentils are soft.
Let cool a little, then put in a food processor with the yogurt and whip until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. (Alternate method: Whip with beaters or a stand mixer.)
Serve with toasted bread or rye crispbread.
hi, I'm on a diet to lower my cholesterol. did you use fat-free yogurt?
Faith, this sounds delicious. I'm definitely going to try it.
coco - I use fat-free plain yogurt as a substitute in many recipes with great results.
I used whole milk yogurt but you could certainly use fat-free. The texture just may be a little thinner.
This may sound a little tedious but when I want to make tzatziki sauce using fat-free yogurt I do this:
1. stretch a coffee filter over the top of a small bowl and secure with a rubber band
2. spoon yogurt on the top of the coffee filter
3. allow it to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours
4. use a spoon to transfer the yogurt from the top of the coffee filter into a container (or straight into my recipe if I'm cooking)
You would be surprised by the amount of water that drains out. I think it brings it much closer to the consistently of whole milk yogurt. Otherwise, as Faith said, the fat-free yogurt can make your recipe thinner.
Sounds delicious! What are the best lentils to use for this recipe?
great tip, becca.
JL - I used white urad dal for this version, but I think pretty much any sort would do. In fact I'd like to try it with different types to see how the flavor differed.