This traditional vegan lentil stew originates from historical Palestine and tells a story of people in need looking for hope and prosperity. This simple dish, whose main ingredients are supposed to mimic meat, is elevated by the sweetness and tanginess of pomegranates.
The Ingredients
- Brown lentils and eggplants: Building the textural base for this dish
- Pomegranate and – molasses: provides unique sweetness and tanginess
- Tahini and cumin: Earthy flavours known to the Middle Eastern cuisine
- Onion and Garlic: because everybody loves them
- Lemon (optional): for additional acidity
How to make Rummaniyeh
Cook the lentil-eggplant base
- Give the lentils a head start and cook them in a pot
- Add cubed eggplants with seasoning
- Add (freshly made) pomegranate juice to the stew
Caramelized aromatics
- heat some olive oil in a pan
- slowly sauté onion, garlic
- add them to the pot
Thicken the stew
Add a flavourful thickener by combining Pomegranate molasses, Tahini and Flour
Now finish by adding some fresh parsley, pomegranate seeds (optionally lemon juice), and enjoy with flat bread or bulgur.
Cooking Tips, Substitutions and Storage
- Buy store-bought pomegranate juice, if you don’t want to go through the struggle of making your own.
- You can also add some finely minced chillis to the caramelized aromatics
- Cook the lentils in vegetable stock instead of plain water
- Store it in the fridge for 4-5 days in an airtight container or freeze up to 3 months.
The Recipe
Rummaniyeh
Originating from Palestine, this hearty lentil-eggplant stew has a sweet and tangy note coming from pomegranate.
Zutaten
Method
Work on the pomegranate
- Separate the pomegranate seeds from the rest of the fruit and blend half of them with a small amount of water to obtain approximately 200ml of juice.
Cook the lentils and eggplants
- In a big pot, bring 500ml of the water to a bowl, add a generous amount of salt and cook the lentils for 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, cut the eggplants into bite-size cubes. When the 15 minute have passed, add the eggplants and cumin to the pot and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Add the pomegranate juice and keep the mixture simmering on low-heat. At the same time, heat up some olive oil in a pan and sauté the onion, garlic and chilli on medium heat until they caramelize (15 minutes), before adding them to the pot.
- In a small bowl, combine pomegranate molasses, tahini and flour (with a bit of water if needed) to a thick mixture. Add it to the pot and stir until completely dissolved. Regularly stir the stew until it reaches your desired consistency. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
- When serving, add fresh parsley, some reserved pomegranate seeds and optionally squeeze some fresh lemon juice.
Notizen
- Use 200ml of store-bought pomegranate juice, if you don’t want to go through the hustle of de-seeding the fruit.
