Eat Healthy and Cheap
Adasi
Adasi is a breakfast in Gilan and Mazandaran, on Iran's Caspian coast, where lentils fill the gap between rice harvests: cheap, warming, and ready by the time anyone is up. The traditional finish is dried mint fried hard in oil until it turns dark and pungent. Toasted dry in a bare pan instead, the mint still browns and gives up the same fragrance, no oil required. Mashing part of the lentils right in the pot is what gives the stew its thick, spoonable body, no cream or blender needed.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Brown lentils, rinsed
- 1 Yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 1/2 tsp Cumin seed
- 1 piece cassia cinnamon, 2 inch stick
- 1/4 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
- 2 tbsp Dried mint, crumbled
- 1/3 cup Walnuts, roughly chopped
- 2 Limes, one juiced, one cut into wedges
Method
- Rinse the lentils and put them in a pot with the chopped onion, garlic, turmeric, and cinnamon stick. Add 4 cups (950 ml) water, bring to a boil, then drop to a simmer and cover partway.
- Cook for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are fully soft and starting to break down on their own. Add a splash more water if the pot looks dry before they get there.
- While the lentils simmer, toast the cumin seeds and peppercorns together in a small dry pan over medium heat until the cumin darkens a shade and smells nutty, about 1 minute. Grind them.
- Fish out the cinnamon stick. Mash about a third of the lentils right in the pot with a fork or potato masher, leaving the rest whole. This is what thickens adasi into a stew instead of a soup, with no blender or cream needed. Stir in the ground cumin and pepper, then simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes more, until it holds its shape on a spoon.
- In the same dry pan, toast the crumbled dried mint over low heat for 20 to 30 seconds, just until it darkens slightly and smells sharp. It burns fast, so pull it off the moment it turns. Toast the walnuts the same way, about a minute, until they smell roasted.
- Squeeze the juice of one lime into the pot and taste: it should read warm and bright rather than salty. Ladle into bowls, top each with the toasted mint and walnuts, and serve with the remaining lime cut into wedges to squeeze at the table.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 290 calories, 15 g protein, 11 g fiber. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt.
