Monday, February 3, 2014

Menestra de lenteja - Ecuadorian lentil stew

One of the foods I have learned to love in Ecuador is lentils.

I never had lentils when I was growing up.
San Lorenzo, Manabí

It just isn't very common food in Finland.

At first, I was very wary, and wondered if it even is edible.

But menestra de lentejas, or lentil stew, managed to change my mind and make me a lentil lover.
San Lorenzo, Manabí

Lentils have a lot of different memories packed in them.

I ate them first in Ibarra, my Ecuadorian birthplace, but later on I learned to eat them again in Manta, at the Pacific Coast.
Puerto Lopez, Manabí

Lentils are very important in Manabí, the province where Manta is located, and they especially eat lentils stew, menestra.

You can get it throughout the whole coastal line with fish, shrimps or any other seafood in any form.
Puerto Lopez, Manabí

But in Manabí you eat lentil stew with barbequed meat or chicken.

It can be a T-bone steak or pork chops or chicken breast but it's barbequed, full of grease and absolutely, incredibly delicious.
San Lorenzo, Manabí

On the side there is always rice (if there is no rice it's not food, is the common opinion in Ecuador, they even eat the spaghetti with rice), fried plantain bananas and a salad.

When I eat my menestra like this it makes me remember the intense heat, the sound of the waves and the salt in the air.
Puerto Lopez, Manabí

I can actually hear the seagulls screaming and imagine how refreshing a plunge in the sea will feel later on.

Or maybe I'll just take a stroll on the beach and enjoy the beautiful view.
Puerto Lopez, Manabí

I hope you'll enjoy your lentils as much as I do.

You'll need:

Lentils (dried ones)

Water

Salt

Maggi (this is a must in Ecuador, but you can use another form of flavoring)

Tomatoes

Onions

Green Bell peppers

Garlic

Fresh Coriander branch

Canola oil
lentil stew

Boil the lentils in the water. Do not add anything else. Let them boil until they start to open.

Fry the vegetable in the canola oil.

If you use bell peppers you need to pass them in a blender but if you don't use bell peppers you can put them straight with the lentils.

Put the vegetables together with the lentils, put the fresh coriander branch there also, and let them boil until the lentils are soft and there isn't much water left.

A tip: When you are boiling the lentils, take out the foam from the surface. That way the stew will be even more delicious.

This is super easy to do!

Now you can enjoy it with fried bananas, barbequed meat and avocado.
lentil stew

27 comments:

  1. The beaches are beautiful! Your recipe looks delicious!

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  2. My wife recently started making dishes with lentils. I too didn't realize how good they were!

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  3. Looks like a gorgeous place to live! I love your photos, they are beautiful! The recipe looks yummy too!

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  4. We have been making this in the states for years, never considered it to be "stew" and never needed meat to eat it with, however I love it just the same, and I do serve it over rice. We do not consider "white rice" to add any value to the meal and therefore opt for a brown rice. Interesting that they serve rice with spaghetti, here in Mexico they serve rice with potatoes. I guess the double starch just does not seen to be over kill to these people. I've learned to only take half a serving of each and thus enjoy what is being served. I live along the ocean in Mexico in a small fishing village so really enjoyed the pictures.

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    1. People here, also, eat rice with potatoes, and sometimes they eat rice, potatoes and pasta, all at once. And it's amazing how much they can eat it at once.
      I'm glad you enjoyed the pictures!

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  5. What a beautiful place! I cannot imagine living there. I would love to visit. I think the kids would enjoy it as well.

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  6. These are such beautiful images! My Mom makes a lentil soup that is similar to this. It's a family favorite.

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  7. What a great combination of flavors. I love your photos.

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  8. My aunt makes a great lentil soup! I never would have thought to cook with them before her soup!

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  9. We make a similar lentil stew that we serve over rice. Yum!

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  10. That recipe looks great and boy it looks beautiful there!

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  11. Isn't it amazing the things that can transport us to a certain place or time? I love lentils, but it took a long time for me to try them. Your recipe looks delicious.

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    1. That is so true, Kathryn. The tastes can bring so many memories and take us to completely another place.

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  12. I don't think I have ever tried a lentil!! This sounds really good!

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  13. Thanks for sharing your recipe for lentil stew. Isn't it great how some foods instantly remind you of a time or a place? It makes them taste even better.

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    1. You are right, Pam. Some foods just bring the memories back.

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  14. Ohhh I love lentils.. YUMMM..thanks for sharing,. looks just like mine...YUMM

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  15. That seems like a nice flavorful lentil recipe.

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  16. I love lentils! Your dish looks wonderful. :-) I love all your photos. ;-)

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  17. i love lentils too- they are SO good and so good for you! what exactly is maggi?

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  18. One of our good friends is a lentil farmer. I must admit I have never cooked with them. I really like the sound of your recipe

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    1. You should definitively get some lentils from him, Tammilee and cook them. They are SO good.

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  19. That stew looks so good. And your pictures are so pretty!

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  20. Lentils are great. I like a nice warm lentil stew on a cold winter day.

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  21. I like cooking with lentils even though I haven't done it much lately. This looks tasty and I need to try it. I'm stopping by from the Weekend Blog Block Party

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  22. I love trying new dishes from around the world! I'm excited to try this one! :)

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