Lentils with Lemon (pomegranate lentils)

Posted Thu, 09/10/2009 - 15:20 by anisa
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The combination of pomegranate, garlic, and fresh coriander is a Middle Eastern favorite in this recipe given to us by Nadia Koudmani, a Palestinian living in Damascus. It is one of my favorite lentil recipes, yet no one in the Middle East could tell me why it is called "with lemon" rather than "with chard," with "garlic and coriander," or "with pomegranate," the other important flavors in the dish.

Preparation Time: 
1:15 hours
Servings: 
4 servings
Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups green or brown lentils, picked over and rinsed

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

5 large Swiss chard leaves, washed well, dried, stems removed and sliced into thin strips cross-wise

2 tablespoons mashed garlic (about 8 large garlic cloves)

3/4 cup finely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro; leaves from about 1 to 2 bunches)

1 cup water

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (available in Middle Eastern markets and many supermarkets)

Preparation: 

1. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the lentils until tender, 20 to 45 minutes; check often because the cooking time varies depending on the age of the lentils. Drain and set aside.

2. In a medium-size nonreactive skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat, then cook the Swiss chard until it wilts, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and drain off any liquid. Set aside.

3. In the same skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and coriander and cook until sizzling, about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium, add the Swiss chard, drained lentils, and water, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the lemon juice and pomegranate molasses and continue cooking until the lentils look mushy, about another 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle a small amount of olive oil over it before serving.

Comments

Thanks for posting this,

by kandace - 09/13/2009 - 20:24

Thanks for posting this, Anisa. I'm a big fan of lentils, pomegranate, lemon, and coriander. Sooo, this recipe sounded amazing! And, it is; so easy to make and turned out quite flavorful. I didn't have pomegranate molasses (the Middle Eastern market was closed today) and so used 2 parts molasses to 1 part pure pomegranate juice. I served over rice with mango chutney and a glass of pomegranate juice. I'll be making this again!