African Spiced Lentil Dip

By carinem25

Ingredients

• 2 cups brown lentils
• 1 carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 quart water
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• Toasted pita triangles, for serving

Preparation

Step 1

In a large saucepan, cover the lentils, carrot and onion with the water and bring to a boil. Simmer until the lentils are tender and almost all the liquid has evaporated, 35 minutes. In a food processor, puree the lentils and vegetables.
In the same saucepan, melt the butter. Add the cumin, coriander, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cayenne and cook over low heat, stirring a few times, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the lentil puree and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper and stir in the lemon juice. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the cilantro. Serve warm or at room temperature with the pita toasts.