Spiced Black Lentils with Cilantro

I was thinking I wanted to make something like Girgir Aloo (lentils with potatoes), but I did not have any aloo, and I didn’t really have any garden variety girgir either. My very last lentils of the year were some exquisite black beluga lentils. Tiny and very pretty and flavorful. Lovely with basmati rice—on our way to a kitnyes-free household

Spiced Black Lentils with Cilantro

Olive oil (be liberal)

2 medium onions, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ teasppons whole cumin seeds

2 cups black lentils

1 cup prepared tomato sauce (or 6 ounces tomato paste)

1 ½ teaspoons turmeric

2 teaspoons paprika

salt

½ bunch cilantro (1/2 cup minced leaves)

Heat oil in a heave saucepan and cook the onions over a moderate flame until soft and translucent, about fifteen minutes. Add the garlic and cumin seeds and cook until fragrant, another five minutes or so. Wash and pick over the lentils, and add them to the pot with the spices. Give a stir and add five cups of water and about two teaspoons of salt, and cook for about an hour or until the lentils are quite tender. Stir in the cilantro and taste for seasonings. Serve with rice, or whatever else you are finishing up before peysekh.

Have a look at Weekend Herb Blogging, back home at Kalyn's Kitchen this week, for other seasonings of the season.