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Menestra de lentejas
Cumin lentil stew
Ecuadorian thick cumin-scented lentil stew served with rice and fried plantain
Menestra is the backbone of Ecuador's set lunches: in Guayaquil's almuerzo cafés, plates arrive with white rice, a ladle of thick menestra, fried plantain (patacones or maduros) and a little salad, usually beside grilled meat. On its own it makes a complete meatless meal. Lentils are cooked down with a refrito of onion, pepper, garlic, cumin and achiote until thick enough to hold a mound. Chef's tip: stir in a handful of chopped coriander right at the end; it's the fresh lift that makes menestra taste Ecuadorian.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 red onionfinely chopped
- 1 green sweet pepperfinely chopped
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tomatograted
- 10 ½ oz brown or green lentilsrinsed
- 4 ¼ cups water
- 1 ½ tsp saltto taste
- 1 handful fresh corianderchopped
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil and 1 tsp achiote oil or sweet paprika in a pot over a medium heat. Add 1 red onion and 1 green sweet pepper and fry for 6–7 minutes until soft and sweet. Add 3 cloves garlic and 1 ½ tsp ground cumin for 1 minute, then 1 tomato and cook for 3 minutes until jammy. This refrito is where all the flavour comes from.
11 minStep 2: Add 10 ½ oz brown or green lentils and 4 ¼ cups water. Bring to the boil, then simmer, partly covered, for 25–30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils are completely soft.
30 minStep 3: Mash about a quarter of the lentils against the side of the pot and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes until thick enough to hold a soft mound on a plate. Common mistake: serving it soupy; menestra should sit next to rice, not run into it.
5 minStep 4: Season with 1 ½ tsp salt and stir in 1 handful fresh coriander. Serve with rice and fried plantain.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 19 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does menestra de lentejas take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of achiote oil or sweet paprika?
- Smoked paprika, half the amount.
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
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