RED LENTIL WITH PEANUT BUTTER AND COCONUT

Good afternoon!!

Today our "tour" is in West Africa and our recipe, of course, comes from there.

Before, however, we will know a little more about West Africa, after all the cuisine is an integral part of the culture of any country and we will only begin to understand a culture when we focus a little on some of these details.

For those who do not know, a little geography 😜.

West Africa is a region situated to the west of Africa and includes the countries of the east coast of the Atlantic Ocean and some of those that share the western portion of the Sahara Desert, such as: Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Nigeria, among others.

It has a very distinct cuisine that varies from region to region, although the ingredients used are practically common to all regions. Over the centuries, West African cuisine has been heavily influenced by the nations that colonized them, but we can still find traditional flavors, as well as a renewal in recipes made with traditional ingredients.

Foods and ingredients

Peas, beans and Fufu: abundant and easy to grow, these ingredients are the backbone of West African foods. Other favorites are: yams, sweet potatoes, corn, rice, cassava, the latter being also used as flour to make the dough of the traditional Fufu.

Fruits: we find mango, melon, coconut, citrus fruits, grape, pineapple and avocado. These fruits are used both fresh and dried, in juices, drinks and desserts. They can often be combined with meats and vegetables to sweeten some dishes. Plantain, although similar to common banana in appearance, but for containing too much starch , is used more often in place of potatoes.

Vegetables: many Mediterranean vegetables grow well under the hot West African sun such as: sweet peppers, tomatoes, onions, herbs and okra among others. Vegetables are the favorites, and we find everything from Swiss chard to mustard and green cabbage. Okra, long cultivated for example, can be eaten raw, cooked and sometimes dehydrated, since it contains many nutritious compounds.

Meat: cattle are expensive in West Africa, so the few cows you see there are for milk consumption only. Chicken, mutton and pork are most popular and used in a variety of soups and stews cooked on a slow fire.

Fish and seafood: they are abundant along the coasts. Grilled, fried, and steamed are some of the popular forms of preparation, but each region has its favorite seafood dish.

Oil: as oil, are used palm (palm oil) and peanut. The first is one of the preferred, since in addition to giving a reddish color to food, it adds a special taste. Peanuts are used in many dishes, and can be cooked or ground to make sauces and stews. Its oil is often used for frying, as it can withstand a higher temperature than that of Palm.

Spices and peppers: West Africans like all kinds of spices and condiments: basil, ginger, turmeric, nutmeg, pepper. By the way, like most hot countries, they love spicy food. For example, in a stewed dish, because while you eat, you sweat, and the evaporation of sweat allows you to feel fresher. The spicy levels are quite high and they love Habanero pepper, ginger, cayenne pepper and other hot spices.

One of the favorite condiments is a hot pepper sauce, which is used as an ingredient and added to the dishes “to warm them up a little.”

Drinks: with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to choose from, juices are very popular and eaten throughout the day. In many areas, where Muslim communities live and alcohol consumption is prohibited, there is a wide variety of juices. One of the most popular is that of Hibiscus which can be served hot or cold, known as Karkadeh. (See recipe on the blog).

Another favorite drink is Ginger Beer, and although it has the name beer, it is a non-alcoholic beverage that can be fermented with yeast or unfermented. In addition to being refreshing, healthy and healing, it can quickly quench thirst.

Journey through some of the typical foods:

WAAKYE - it is a rice and bean dish, very popular as street food in Ghana. It is usually served for breakfast or lunch, with a typical spicy pepper sauce typical of Ghana. By itself, it is already a meal, but it can be served with boiled eggs or fish, chicken, meat or vegetable stew.

FUFU - commonly made with cassava, yam and sometimes combined with coconut, banana or cornmeal. In Ghana it is made mainly with cooked cassava and green banana smoothies with Cocoyam (a type of plant). Fufu can also be made with semolina or rice.

MAAFE OR PEANUT STEW - t is a common dish, and the recipes are varied, but the basis of the dish is peanut or peanut butter. The usual recipe is a traditional trio of West African cuisine (tomatoes, onions and peppers) to which mutton, chicken or beef is added. In the coastal regions of Senegal it is prepared with fish. Traditionally, it is served with side dishes such as fufu, white rice, couscous or sweet potatoes.

JOLLOF RICE - considered the national dish of West Africa, it is made with more common basic ingredients such as, rice, tomatoes and tomato paste, onion, salt and red pepper. In addition to these ingredients can be added meat, vegetable or any other seasoning.

Well, after a virtual trip ✈ through some basic information, let's go to our recipe that is super healthy and for those who have read the post on lentil will love it, because one of its benefits we owe to its high protein content that helps in the process of slimming.

You will ask : - and peanut butter 😌??

Peanut butter also has protein and its fat is great for the heart, and since it is rich in fiber, it is ideal for those who exercise a lot. People, detail, please😉: WHOLE PEANUT BUTTER - without sugar, that is, only peanuts, peanuts and peanuts only.

Let's quickly go to COCONUT MILK: rich in saturated fat (good), it serves as fuel for the organism that turns it into energy. In addition to increasing satiety, it assists in lowering cholesterol among other things. The good thing would be to make our own coconut milk, wouldn't it? But let's combine, as it is laborious and requires time, so let's use the industrialized.

When you are preparing it will feel different aromas. First the onion becoming brown then changing its usual aroma, then when adding spices and aromas invade the kitchen and finally when incorporating coconut milk and peanut butter. At this time, it gives a desire to dive, fall from the mouth into the pan. Only you doing and eating, but I guarantee.

This dish is very unctuous, consistent and nutritious and goes well on cold winter days, but we can do it at any time.

Finally, as you can see, we only have healthy things in this recipe. It is obvious that no one will dive into the pot, because in this case, there is no marathon that can spend everything that your organism has stored, so let's take it easy😝, even because this recipe serves 6 people!!

Red lentil with peanut butter and coconut

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons coconut oil (or olive oil)

1 medium yellow onion, minced

2 medium bell peppers, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

1 2-inch piece grated ginger (approx)

2 chopped red peppers (optional, or if you want less spicy remove the seeds)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp smoked paprika (or sweet)

1 tsp roasted cumin seeds

1 tp turmeric

520 gr tomato puree

1 cup water

salt to taste

1 cup of red lentil tea (soak 20 minutes and bring to the fire for 10 min after bringing to a boil), drain.

1/4 cup peanut butter

400 ml coconut milk

To decorate

roasted peanuts

chopped coriander

chopped red pepper

fresh cream or natural yogurt

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it begins to brown, about 10 minutes.

Add red peppers, cinnamon, paprika, roasted cumin, turmeric and

let the spices fry for another 1 minute over medium heat, always stirring so as not to burn.

Then add the bell peppers, carrots, ginger wrapping the vegetables in the spices, stirring from time to time until soft.

Add tomato puree, water and lentils. Cover the pan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally so as not to stick, for about 30 minutes.

After this time and with the mixture reduced to almost a puree, add the coconut milk and peanut butter, stir until all the ingredients are well mixed.

As soon as it rises to a boil, reduce the heat and leave for 10 minutes so that the flavors merge and the peanut butter completely melts.

Before serving garnish with peanuts, coriander, pepper and a little fresh cream or plain yogurt (optional).

Tip: If you want you can add 1 cup of sweet potato cut into cubes.

This I served with a drizzle of fresh cream, crushed peanuts and coriander pesto: beat in the blender, coriander, grated coconut, a pinch of salt, lemon juice and coconut milk, enough to be creamy.