Skip to main content

Sudan

We're traveling back to Africa tonight to visit the war torn country of Sudan. So, we're dedicating the meal to peace and security in this African nation.

Since the weather is finally cooling down, and I can justify making a wintery dish, we're having Shorbet Ads or lentil soup.

I have always been a fan of lentils and this dish did not disappoint.  I followed the recipe exactly which meant that I needed to find the red lentils it calls for (no $.99 bag of those traditional green lentils for me). I located them in a local Ralphs grocery store in the international food aisle.  They were ridiculously expensive but I really did not have a choice. Anyway, they're a great little legume that cooks exceptionally fast and has a beautiful golden color.

The recipe was adapted from www.sudan.net/society/recipe.html  and The African Studies Center at the University of Pennsylvania - Sudan: Menus & Recipes From Africa.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Ads Magroosh (split red lentils)
  • 1.5 - 2 quarts chicken stock (homemade is best but good quality store-bought will do)
  • 2 medium onions --chopped (reserve 2 tbsp for topping)
  • 1 medium tomato --chopped
  • 2 medium carrots --chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 tsp Cumin
  • Salt/Pepper to taste.

Directions

  1. Chop the vegetables into medium-size chunks
  2. Wash lentils
  3. Put stock into a 4-5 quart pot and bring to boil
  4. Add the onions, carrots, tomato and lentils to stock. Lower the heat to simmer and cook for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender
  5. Puree the mixture in either a food processor or blender and return to pot.
  6. Saute the finely chopped onions in the olive oil until they are soft and brown.
  7. Add the cumin, lemon juice, sauteed onions, salt and pepper to soup and stir slowly over low heat for about 3 minutes 
Rating: 9 out of 10. Light yet comforting soup with just the hint of spice.

Tony --"This is a little watery no?"

Although the soup is definitely on the thin side, you can make it thicker by adding less chicken stock or more lentils. I used 1.5 quarts of stock and thought it was perfect.  I served it with with some Roti (yes I made it two days in a row because I enjoyed it so much). We also didn't follow sharia law and enjoyed the soup with a nice glass of red wine. --I can do that because it's my project and my blog.

    Comments

    Popular posts from this blog

    Micronesia

    Micronesia is a federation of small islands that includes Guam, Wake Island, Marshall Island and a few others. There doesn't appear to be a distinctly "Micronesian Cuisine" but there are some notable dishes from the individual islands. I chose Chicken Kelaguen which comes to us from Guam.  The dish is found anywhere you can find Guamanians, they love it and I do too. To be classified as "authentic" one must make the finadene marinade and BBQ the chicken after it has marinated overnight. (Some sources say to use a store bought rotisserie chicken and recommended Costco.--Yeah, I love that chicken too, but last time I checked, there were no Costcos in Micronesia.) Finadene 1 cup soy sauce 1 cup lemon juice 1 bunch of green onions (chopped) 5 hot red peppers (I used dried peppers) Chicken Kelaguen Naan bread (lightly grilled) 1 whole chicken 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 coconut 1 bunch green onions (chopped) 5 hot red peppers (chopped) salt and peppe

    Equatorial Guinea

     (Yeah, I didn't know it was a country either) The dish tonight = chicken with peanut butter sauce and boiled plantains. If you're looking for a non-traditional/non-American carb, grab a plantain. They pack a punch.  They're deceptively starchy and bland. However, if you're hungry and you're in need of carbohydrate replenishment, they're amazing.  They're also pretty good as a side dish to a chicken peanut butter stew. The dish tonight was interesting. The relationship between peanut butter, tomatoes and oregano was incredible. It was a beautiful polygamous marriage that actually worked. Rating: 7 out of 10 [Note to self: Do not overestimate the power of a habeƱero. Even though this is the devil pepper the entire thing is warranted in this recipe. Leave some out and you'll regret it.]

    Namibia

    Back to Africa tonight for Potjiekos and Oshifima . Lamb stew with porridge. I'm usually pretty enthusiastic whenever a recipe calls for lamb and tonight was no exception.  Lamb, tomato paste, tons of spices and raisins...how can that be bad? Of course I'm not replicating the recipe exactly --Potjiekos is cooked outside in a cast iron, three-legged pot over an open flame.  (I'm pretty sure there are city codes preventing me from this so instead I'm cooking in a dutch oven on the stove.)