This is a very simple, nutritious, and delicious dish that comes together very quickly.

Watch full video here

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry lentils (we use green, but any kind is fine)
• 1 medium onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 star anise pods
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• A bunch of fresh cilantro (or parsley)
• Juice of 1 lime
• Oil
• Salt and pepper

Serve with rice

Preparation:

1. Soak the lentils in room temperature water for 2-4 hours, then drain in the sink and rinse under the tap.
2. Place the lentils in a small pot, cover with water, add the star anise and bay leaves, and cook until tender.
3. While the lentils are cooking, peel and slice the garlic cloves, then chop the onion into large chunks, setting aside ¼ of the onion for later.
4. In a medium-sized pan, add 2 tbsp oil, and sauté the chopped onions and garlic. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions are soft and start to turn golden.
5. Season the onions with 1 tsp salt, oregano, coriander powder, paprika, freshly cracked pepper, brown sugar, and balsamic vinegar, and mix well.
6. Add the cooked lentils to the pan and mix them with the onions. Check the seasoning and adjust to taste.
7. Turn off the heat when the lentils have thickened but are not completely dry. Remove the bay leaves and star anise pods.
8. Prepare a quick salsa to top the lentils by finely dicing the ¼ onion that was set aside. Place the diced onions in a bowl and season with 1 tsp salt and the juice of 1 lime. Finely chop a handful of fresh cilantro and combine with the diced onions.
9. Serve the lentils with rice and top with a spoonful of salsa.

Hot Tips:

• Instead of dry lentils, you can use 2 cans of cooked lentils (or any legume of your liking) to save time and effort.
• Soaking the lentils is not really necessary, as they cook relatively quickly, but soaking helps avoid bloating and also makes the lentils cook faster.
• This is a super quick and simple recipe that only uses one onion as the main veggie (yay savings!), but you can add any other veggies you fancy. Great options are potatoes, tomatoes, green peas, carrots, diced zucchini, and bell peppers.
• You can also serve the lentils with quinoa or couscous.
• The salsa is optional but it does brighten the dish; the lime and salt in the salsa help soften and mellow the flavor of the raw onions.
• The anise seed pods are a rather unconventional addition in our house, but our granny swears they help reduce the farting situation, and we’ve found it works. However, we know they can be hard to find in grocery stores (or expensive), so you can substitute them with a few more bay leaves.