Spiced Lentil Dip

I've made this a couple of times for parties in the last couple of months. The best part of this recipe is that you can make it from left over lentils.

Lentils:

2 cups lentils (any color)

1 onion, chopped

4 carrots, chopped

3-6 cups chicken stock (any flavor stock will work)

I usually cook my lentils in a pressure cooker with about 6 cups of liquid, for approximately 30 minutes. If you want to use a regular pot you will need less liquid (maybe only three cups, but enough to cover the lentils and vegetables) and your cook time will probably increase to an hour. Simmer lentils until they are soft and starting to fall apart.

I serve these lentils the first time around with sausages for dinner. With the left overs I make the following dip. You can serve it with either tortilla chips or toasted pita squares.

Dip:

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

about 1 inch fresh ginger, grated

(I store my ginger in the freezer. It keeps much longer and is much easier to grate)

1/4 of a whole nutmeg, grated

(You could use 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, but I really like grating it myself. The flavors are much stronger and the whole nutmegs keep longer)

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Melt butter in a medium saucepan and add cumin, coriander, ginger, and nutmeg. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. And lentils and cayenne pepper (to taste) and cook until warmed through, at least 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and serve with tortilla chips or toasted pita squares.

This recipe is modified from http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/african-spiced-lentil-dip.