Ingredients:
- 6 large ripe tomatoes (about 2 lb.), rough chopped
- 1 large onion, grated
- 2 celery stalks with leaves, finely chopped
- 10 cups water
- 2 cup cooked chickpeas
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ Tbsp. ground ginger
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 1 ½ Tbsp. black pepper
- 3 Tbsp. salt
- 3 Tbsp. butter
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- ¼ cup orange lentils, picked over and washed
- 3 Tbsp. omato paste, mixed into 1 cup of water
- ½ cup Jasmine rice (or any long grain rice)
- 1 bunch cilantro leaves
- 1 bunch parsley leaves
Make it:
- In a food processor, puree the tomatoes, onion and celery. Add 1 cup of water and continue to puree.
- Put this puree mixture into a soup pot with 2 more cups of the water, chickpeas, all the spices, butter and olive oil. Cover the pot, turn heat to high and when it boils, reduce heat to a simmer. Cook covered, for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the lentils, tomato paste mixture, rice and the rest of the water. Bring to a simmer, covered and cook for 10 more minutes.
- Add the cilantro and parsley, taste for enough salt and pepper, adding as needed. Cook 5-10 more minutes, or until the lentils and rice are tender. Taste again for seasoning.
Notes: It’s easy to cook dry beans and chickpeas:
- the day before you want to cook them, put them in a container with enough water to cover them above 2 inches. Refrigerate overnight.
- Drain the chickpeas (or beans) and put them in a pot with enough water to cover them about 2 inches. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, covered, but with lid a little off the pot. Cook until tender (45minutes to 2hours depending on age of the beans). Drain and use as needed.