Red lentil dip with tahini and lemon

Ingredients

0 of 15 out on the counter

• 1 cup dry red lentils, rinsed
• 3 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp cumin seed, toasted and ground
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 6 medium carrots, cut in sticks, for dipping
• 3 cups sliced cucumber, for dipping
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut in strips, for dipping
• 3 cups water, for cooking the lentils (¼ cup of it kept for thinning)

All set! Everything is out. Time to bake.

Method

1. 1Toast the cumin seed in a dry small pan over medium heat for about 1 minute, until it smells warm. Grind it fine in a mortar or spice grinder.
2. 2Put the rinsed lentils and the 3 cups water in a saucepan with the garlic powder. Bring to a boil, then turn to a gentle simmer, uncovered, stirring now and then. At 5,300 ft water boils near 203 °F, so give red lentils about 20 minutes instead of 15. They are done when they fall apart when pressed against the pot.
3. 3Drain in a sieve over a bowl, keeping ¼ cup of the cooking water. Let the lentils steam dry in the sieve for 10 minutes.
4. 4In a food processor, run the tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest for 30 seconds until pale and thick. Scrape down.
5. 5Add the lentils, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Run until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, adding the kept cooking water 1 tablespoon at a time until it falls from a spoon in a ribbon. The dip firms as it cools.
6. 6Scoop into a bowl and stir in the parsley. Serve warm or cool with the carrot sticks, cucumber slices and red pepper strips: ½ cup of dip with 1 carrot, ½ cup of cucumber and one sixth of the pepper makes a serving.
7. 7Cool within 2 hours, then refrigerate in a covered container. Keeps 5 days in the fridge (our kitchen practice; we hold no published source for it yet). Reheat leftovers warm to 165 °F if you like it hot; otherwise serve cold.