Bayan Ahmad, Lebanon Team
1 C lentils
8 C cold water
300 g/large bunch Swiss chard, roughly chopped
½ teaspoon Lebanese 7 spice mix*
½ teaspoon sumac
1 Tbl salt (approx.)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
Cook the lentils in cold water for about 15 min. on medium heat. Roughly chop the Swiss chard and add to the pot with the diced potatoes. Add the 7 spices, sumac, and salt, and simmer for another 15 min. until the potatoes are well done.
Meanwhile, in a pan, sauté onions in some cooking olive oil until golden. Then add this to the lentils and stir. When you turn off the heat, add the lemon, then adjust the seasoning and water levels with some boiling water if necessary. Add a little squeeze of lemon if needed just before serving.
*Note: If you don’t have this, you can mix it up yourself. Here are measurements for a full batch:
1 Tbl allspice
1 Tbl ground coriander
1 Tbl cinnamon
1 ½ tsp black pepper
1 ½ tsp ground cloves
1 ½ tsp cumin
1 ½ tsp ground nutmeg
