SC - In search of gadget...

Wed Apr 25 14:12:05 PDT 2001

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Jadwiga Zajaczkowa wrote:

>Ok, I'd never tasted lentils before I joined the SCA. but recently 
>I've been testing
>out recipes for lentil dishes for a project of Sarah bat Mordecai's, 
>and I find that I'm
>very enthusiastic about them...

>I also tried the Muzawwara dish from the Miscellany, but again, I 
>put Carrots in it --
>apologies, your grace (I bought Kale by mistake, and it wasn't sweet enough).
>
>1) Tell me all about Lentils! How common were they outside the 
>Muslim regions? What other
>good recipes exist? Are there any Lentil addict support groups?

My favorite lentil recipe is:

Cooked Dish of Lentils
al-Andalusi p. C-5 (no. 377)

Wash lentils and put them to cook in a pot with sweet water, oil, 
pepper, coriander and cut onion. When they are cooked throw in salt, 
a little saffron and vinegar; break three eggs, leave for a while on 
the flame and later retire the pot. Other times cook without onion. 
If you wish cook it with Egyptian beans pricked into which have been 
given a boil. Or better with dissolved yeast over a gentle fire. When 
the lentils begin to thicken add good butter or sweet oil, bit by 
bit, alike until it gets absorbed, until they are sufficiently cooked 
and have enough oil. Then retire it from the flame and sprinkle with 
pepper. [end of original]

1 1/2 c dried lentils = 10 oz
2 1/4 c water
1 1/2 T oil
3/8 t pepper
1 1/2 t coriander
2 medium onions = 1/2 lb
3/4 t salt
12 threads saffron
2 T vinegar
4 eggs
4 T butter (or oil)
more pepper

Slice onions. Put lentils, water, oil, pepper, coriander and onion in 
a pot, bring to a boil, and turn down to a bare simmer. Cook covered 
50 minutes, stirring periodically. Add butter or oil and cook while 
stirring for about 5 minutes. Add salt, saffron (crushed into 1 t 
water) and vinegar, and bring back to a boil. Put eggs on top, cover 
pot and keep lentils at a simmer; stir cautiously every few minutes 
in order to scrape the bottom of the pot without stirring in the 
eggs. We find that if the heat is off, the eggs don't cook; if the 
heat is up at medium, the eggs cook, but the lentils start to stick 
to the pot. A larger quantity might hold enough heat to cook the eggs 
without leaving it on the flame. When the eggs are cooked, sprinkle 
with a little more pepper and serve. Makes 5 1/4 c.

>2) I know that adding carrots to these lentil dishes makes them only 
>periodoid. However,
>the question is, is this possible, or extremely implausible? did 
>places with lentils also
>have carrots?

I know a couple of Islamic recipes which call for carrots; the 
following, for Jazariyyah, is from Ibn al-Mubarrad's cookbook (15th 
c. eastern Islamic), and he has some recipes which do call for 
lentils:

Meat is boiled with a little water. Carrots, garlic cloves and peeled 
onions are put with it, then crushed garlic is put with it. Some 
people put spinach with it also; some make it without spinach. 
Walnuts and parsley are put in. (worked-out recipe in the Miscellany; 
this post is long enough already).

Elizabeth of Dendermonde/Betty Cook (only 10 days behind the list!)
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 --></style><title>Re: SC - lentils! lentils!</title></head><body>
<div>Jadwiga Zajaczkowa wrote:</div>
<div><br></div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Ok, I'd never tasted lentils before I
joined the SCA. but recently I've been testing<br>
out recipes for lentil dishes for a project of Sarah bat Mordecai's,
and I find that I'm</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>very enthusiastic about
them...</blockquote>
<div><br></div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>I also tried the Muzawwara dish from the
Miscellany, but again, I put Carrots in it --<br>
apologies, your grace (I bought Kale by mistake, and it wasn't sweet
enough).<br>
<br>
1) Tell me all about Lentils! How common were they outside the Muslim
regions? What other<br>
good recipes exist? Are there any Lentil addict support
groups?</blockquote>
<div><br>
My favorite lentil recipe is:</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><font color="#000000"><b>Cooked Dish of Lentils</b></font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">al-Andalusi p. C-5 (no. 377)</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000"><br>
Wash lentils and put them to cook in a pot with sweet water, oil,
pepper, coriander and cut onion. When they are cooked throw in salt,
a little saffron and vinegar; break three eggs, leave for a while on
the flame and later retire the pot. Other times cook without onion.
If you wish cook it with Egyptian beans pricked into which have been
given a boil. Or better with dissolved yeast over a gentle fire. When
the lentils begin to thicken add good butter or sweet oil, bit by
bit, alike until it gets absorbed, until they are sufficiently cooked
and have enough oil. Then retire it from the flame and sprinkle with
pepper. [end of original]</font><br>
</div>
<div><font color="#000000">1 1/2 c dried lentils = 10 oz</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">2 1/4 c water<x-tab>  
</x-tab><x-tab>       
</x-tab></font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">1 1/2 T oil<x-tab>    
</x-tab><x-tab>       
</x-tab></font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">3/8 t pepper<x-tab>   
</x-tab><x-tab>       
</x-tab></font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">1 1/2 t
coriander<x-tab>       </x-tab><br>
2 medium onions = 1/2 lb</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">3/4 t salt</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">12 threads saffron</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">2 T vinegar</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">4 eggs</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">4 T butter (or oil)</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">more pepper</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000"><br></font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">Slice onions. Put lentils, water, oil,
pepper, coriander and onion in a pot, bring to a boil, and turn down
to a bare simmer. Cook covered 50 minutes, stirring periodically. Add
butter or oil and cook while stirring for about 5 minutes. Add salt,
saffron (crushed into 1 t water) and vinegar, and bring back to a
boil. Put eggs on top, cover pot and keep lentils at a simmer; stir
cautiously every few minutes in order to scrape the bottom of the pot
without stirring in the eggs. We find that if the heat is off, the
eggs don't cook; if the heat is up at medium, the eggs cook, but the
lentils start to stick to the pot. A larger quantity might hold
enough heat to cook the eggs without leaving it on the flame. When
the eggs are cooked, sprinkle with a little more pepper and serve.
Makes 5 1/4 c.</font></div>
<div><br></div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>2) I know that adding carrots to these
lentil dishes makes them only periodoid. However,<br>
the question is, is this possible, or extremely implausible? did
places with lentils also</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>have carrots?</blockquote>
<div><br></div>
<div>I know a couple of Islamic recipes which call for carrots; the
following, for Jazariyyah, is from Ibn al-Mubarrad's cookbook (15th
c. eastern Islamic), and he has some recipes which do call for
lentils:</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><font color="#000000">Meat is boiled with a little water.
Carrots, garlic cloves and peeled onions are put with it, then
crushed garlic is put with it. Some people put spinach with it also;
some make it without spinach. Walnuts and parsley are put in.</font>
(worked-out recipe in the Miscellany; this post is long enough
already).</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Elizabeth of Dendermonde/Betty Cook (only 10 days behind the
list!)</div>
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