Egyptian Split Pea Stew
Makes 8 cups - 6 to 8 servings
This hearty but simple stew, spiked with red pepper and lively with cilantro and dill, makes an easy supper. I recommend serving it over fragrant basmati rice and topping the dish with thickened yogurt .
For the stew
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
8 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable stock, divided (prepare using stock concentrate, cubes, or powder)
4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
8 cups (about 8 ounces) stemmed and coarsely chopped fresh spinach leaves
½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons snipped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
1 ½ cups split peas
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Plain yogurt or thickened plain yogurt (see Tip) for garnish
For the rice
2 cups uncooked basmati rice
3 cups water
Salt to taste
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add 3 cups of the vegetable stock. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir in the split peas. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer until the split peas are tender but not mushy, about 50 minutes. During the last 15 minutes, stir in the remaining 1 cup vegetable stock, tomatoes, spinach, cilantro, parsley, dill, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
During the last half hour, put all the rice ingredients in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil over high heat; stir once. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes, or according to package instructions. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for about 10 minutes.
To serve, fluff the rice with a fork. Spread a layer of rice in the bottoms of shallow soup plates; top with the stew and garnish with yogurt.
Advance preparation
Refrigerate this stew and the rice in separate covered containers for up to 5 days. When reheating, add vegetable stock or water to thin as desired. |
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