Though my husband is happy to eat just about anything I cook and has fully embraced all of the Puerto Rican food I grew up eating, he does occasionally mention that he misses dishes from his own childhood. There are a few specific dishes he loves and rarely gets to eat, mostly because I have no idea how to cook them. I’ve been able to learn one Trinidadian dish so far – he is quite happy with the macaroni pie I make, but there are others I still wish to learn how to make.
With it still being winter and us actually having cooler days here in Florida, I decided to try making Trinidadian stewed lentils, one of my husband’s most favorite dishes. Though it’s not quite a soup, these stewed lentils are hearty and comforting, which evokes all the feelings of cool, winter days for me. Take a look at this wonderful recipe for Trinidadian style stewed lentils that are sure to hit the spot! The recipe consists of a few, simple ingredients, all of which you can find at your local Walmart!
Trinidadian Style Stewed Lentils Recipe
Ingredients
- Lentils, 1 12 oz package – depending on the brand, you can buy a pack of lentils for under $1!
- 3-4 cups water (for cooking)
- Chicken broth, 1 14.5 oz can
- Onion, 1/2 medium, diced
- 3 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Coconut milk, 1 13.5 oz can
Directions
- In a large bowl, soak lentils in water for about 30 minutes. Drain.
- Add lentils to large pot, along with water, chicken broth, onion, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir and bring to a boil.
- Lower heat to medium, add coconut milk, stir, and slightly cover. Continue boiling until sauce has thickened.
- Stir and bring heat to low. Cover completely and simmer until lentils are tender.
You can serve Trinidadian style stewed lentils over white rice or with dumplings, the way my husband prefers them. The coconut milk gives them a hint of sweetness and they make a great stand-alone dish or side dish for cold winter days. Plus, with a price point of around $1, lentils make for a very inexpensive meal, full of protein and fiber!
How do you typically cook your lentils?
All photos © Melanie Edwards/modernmami™
Because I love to learn different styles of cooking and I know he misses it, I try to cook something Trinidadian at least once a month. I haven’t made these. Definitely trying this soon. Easy, Simple but filling… My kind of recipe!!
I know what you mean. It was my first time trying and didn’t know exactly what I was looking for, but he was happy with them! Hope the Mr. likes!
The traditional lentils don’t have coconut milk and the herbs are thyme, pimento, onion, garlic and chive minced, fry these then add lentil, stock, pumpkin, add salt and pepper to taste and cook until done, add a pinch of sugar
No coconut milk? That’s the 1st ingredient my husband said I must add, as he remembers his mom would make her lentils with it. Thanks for the tips, though!
This is the traditional way of making them I truly miss my grandmas lentils ??, when she is in Trinidad for 6 months I surprise her and show her what I can make when she comes back up.. This is def on my list
Awww how sweet! Thanks for sharing and I’m glad to know I’m on the right track. 🙂