Lencsefozelek, Hungarian Lentil Stew
Fozelek is a whole family of thick Hungarian vegetable stews, somewhere between a side dish and a light main, and the lentil version is the one eaten on New Year's Day, when the little coin-shaped seeds are said to bring money in the year ahead. It is built the Hungarian way: onions softened, the pot pulled off the heat before the paprika goes in so it stays sweet and red, then lentils simmered down until thick. Where a traditional fozelek leans on a fat-and-flour roux and a swirl of sour cream, this one thickens by mashing some of the lentils and finishes with oat cream, vinegar, and mustard for the same sour-creamy tang. A heap of dry-toasted onion on top gives the crunch fried onions usually would. It is high in protein, high in fiber, and costs next to nothing.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Brown lentils, rinsed
- 1 whole Yellow onions, diced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 whole Bay leaves
- 1 tsp Sweet paprika
- 1 tbsp White wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup Oat cream
- 1/4 whole Red onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
Method
- Sweat the diced yellow onion in a pot with a few tablespoons of water until soft, about 6 minutes, then stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute. Pull the pot off the heat and stir in the paprika. Paprika scorches and turns bitter over direct heat, so it always goes in off the flame; this off-heat stir is the single most important move in Hungarian cooking.
- Add the rinsed lentils, the bay leaf, and 3 cups (710 ml) water. Simmer, partly covered, until the lentils are completely soft, about 25 minutes. A fozelek is meant to be thick and stew-like, not brothy, so cook the lentils past tender and let the liquid cook down with them.
- Mash a few ladles of the lentils against the side of the pot, or lift them out and blend briefly, then stir back in. Traditionally a fozelek is thickened with a flour-and-fat roux; mashing part of the lentils thickens it just as well with nothing added, which is what gives it that spoon-coating body.
- Stir in the vinegar, mustard, and oat cream and warm through. The sour-and-creamy finish is the heart of the dish, standing in for the sour cream and vinegar Hungarians swirl in, and it does the seasoning that salt would, waking up the earthy lentils. Meanwhile dry-toast the sliced red onion in a hot pan until browned at the edges, and pile it on top with the parsley and black pepper.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 210 calories, 13 g protein, 13 g fiber, 40 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
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. How this is computed.
