Red Lentil & Cumin Dip

📝 Ingredients

• 150 g red lentils
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ lemon (for the juice)
• 2 tbsp olive oil (1 for the dip, 1 for serving)
• 1 pinch of sweet paprika (to serve)
• 4 carrots (about 100 g each)
• 1 cucumber (about 300 g)
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Fine sieve
• Saucepan
• Stick blender
• Peeler
• Chopping board and knife
• Serving bowl

📖 Steps

1. Rinse the red lentils in the fine sieve under cold water, stirring them with your hand, until the water runs almost clear: this removes the starch that makes them foam during cooking. Peel the garlic cloves and leave them whole.
2. Put the cumin in the dry saucepan over a medium heat and toast for 30 s, stirring, just until it is strongly fragrant, without letting it blacken. Immediately add the lentils, the whole garlic cloves and 450 ml cold water.
3. Bring to the boil, skim off the white foam with a spoon, then reduce to a low heat and cook uncovered for 15 to 18 min, stirring from time to time, until the lentils break down into a purée and the water is almost absorbed.
4. If there is any water left in the bottom, drain the lentils, reserving 3 tbsp of the cooking water. Leave to cool slightly for 5 min, then blend with the cooked garlic, the juice of the ½ lemon, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper until very smooth.
5. Taste and adjust with a little salt or lemon if the dip lacks zing, or 1 tbsp cooking water if it's too thick. It should have the texture of a soft hummus, as it thickens further as it cools.
6. Peel the carrots and cut them into sticks about 8 cm long. Halve the cucumber lengthways, scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon, then cut it into sticks of the same size.
7. Spoon the dip into the serving bowl, make a swirl with the back of a spoon, drizzle with the 2nd tbsp olive oil and dust with paprika. Serve warm or cold with the raw vegetable sticks.