5 unique lentil dishes to try today
What's the story
African cuisine provides a colorful melange of flavors and ingredients, with lentils being an integral part of most vegetarian meals.
Protein-rich legumes are not just nutritious but also versatile, making themselves available for various culinary experiments across the continent.
Here are five unique African lentil-based vegetarian dishes that highlight the diversity and depth of Africa's cooking traditions.
Spicy stew
Ethiopian misir wot
Misir wot is another Ethiopian lentil stew that is packed with robust flavors.
The stew consists of red lentils cooked with onions, garlic, and ginger in a spiced clarified butter known as niter kibbeh.
The berbere spice mix gives the stew its heat and depth.
Served with injera, a sourdough flatbread made from teff flour, misir wot is hearty and fulfilling.
Aromatic broth
Moroccan lentil soup
Moroccan lentil soup features green/brown lentils along with tomatoes, carrots, celery, and a medley of spices such as cumin and coriander.
The soup is usually made more flavorful with fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley.
It is generally consumed as a comforting starter or light meal in winters.
Layered delight
Egyptian koshari
Koshari is Egypt's national dish that combines rice, pasta, chickpeas, lentils and crispy fried onions with tangy tomato sauce.
This wholesome mix offers a range of textures in each bite while packing in all the necessary nutrients from plants.
You can find Koshari at street vendors all over Egypt as well as home kitchens.
Coconut infusion
Tanzanian Mbaazi na Nazi
Mbaazi na Nazi hails from Tanzania's coastal areas where coconut milk is an integral part of the local cuisine along with pigeon peas (mbaazi).
Slowly cooked until tender in creamy coconut milk flavored by fragrant spices such as cardamom pods or cloves, this dish goes perfectly over steamed rice, making it the perfect comfort food for any occasion.
Savory blend
Senegalese Ndambe
Ndambe, hailing from Senegal, consists of black-eyed peas cooked down into a thick, savory sauce.
Seasoned by an onion-tomato base along with chili peppers, this dish packs a subtle kick without overpowering the delicate flavors involved within each of the ingredients used here.
This makes for a balanced taste profile overall when served atop freshly baked bread, baguette-style loaves commonly found all over the West Africa region itself!