AI-generated image
Lentilha de Ano Novo
New Year lentil stew
Lentilha de Ano Novo: Brazil's New Year's Eve lentil stew with smoked paprika, eaten after midnight for luck
Just after the fireworks at midnight on 31 December, Brazilians from Copacabana to small towns in the interior eat a spoonful of lentils, because the little coin-shaped seeds are said to bring money in the year ahead. Many families keep a pot of this warm stew of lentils, tomato, carrot and smoked paprika on the stove all through the Réveillon party. It also makes a good weekday supper with rice. Chef's tip: keep it at a gentle simmer so the lentils hold their shape, as they are meant to look like little coins.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz brown or green lentils
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onionchopped
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 carrotdiced
- 1 celery stickdiced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 2 ripe tomatoeschopped
- 5 cups water
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (6)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Spread the 10 ½ oz brown or green lentils on a plate, pick out any small stones, then rinse them in a sieve.
3 minStep 2: Heat the 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over a medium heat. Fry the 1 onion, 1 carrot and 1 celery stick for 6 minutes until soft, add the 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp smoked paprika and ½ tsp ground cumin and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
7 minStep 3: Add the lentils, 2 ripe tomatoes, 2 bay leaves and 5 cups water. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25–30 minutes. Boiling it hard is the mistake that splits the lentils into mush; they are ready when tender but still whole.
30 minStep 4: Season with the 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper, simmer 2 minutes more, remove the bay leaves and stir in the 3 tbsp chopped parsley and spring onion.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lentilha de Ano Novo take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Sayur lodehVegetables in coconut milk
Sayur lodeh is everyday cooking in Central Java, made in big pots in Solo and Semarang kitchens and ladled over rice, with lontong rice cakes at Lebaran, or alongside opor and sambal goreng on festive tables. It's soupy rather than thick: a fragrant broth of coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass and lime leaf that carries chunks of aubergine, long beans, chayote and sweetcorn, plus tempeh and tofu to make it a meal. The flavour is mellow and slightly sweet, so the heat comes from sambal on the side. Chef's tip: keep the pot at a gentle simmer once the coconut milk goes in and stir now and then — a rolling boil splits the coconut milk into oily curds.
Indonesian
Chana masala
A North Indian staple that comes together from the store cupboard. Toasted cumin, slow-softened onion and a good spoonful of garam masala give tinned chickpeas real depth. Serve with rice, naan or a stack of warm rotis.
Indian
Bagara bainganBaby aubergines in peanut sesame sauce
Bagara baingan is a Hyderabadi wedding dish of small aubergines cooked whole in a dark, tangy gravy of roasted peanuts, sesame, dried coconut and tamarind. Unlike a Gujarati stuffed brinjal, the aubergines here are only quartered at the base and fried until silky, then left to soak up a thin-but-rich sauce that is finished with a tempering, the 'baghar' that gives the dish its name. It's sour, nutty and gently spiced, and is served with biryani, bagara rice or plain rice. Chef's tip: choose small, glossy purple aubergines that feel heavy for their size; soft, light ones are full of seeds and turn mushy before the gravy has a chance to cling.