A very tasty and wholesome dish made with lentils and chicken — slightly spiced, juicy, aromatic, and served with a delicious sauce. In this recipe, I highly recommend using green lentils specifically: even when fully cooked and very soft, they hold their shape beautifully, unlike red lentils, which are better suited for purées. If it's not tomato season and fresh tomatoes aren't available, you can use canned tomatoes in their own juice, or, as a last resort, tomato paste. The result was incredibly delicious — and I don't even consider myself a lentil fan, but I absolutely loved it, surprisingly so. I think the key is the spices I added; without them, I suspect it wouldn't be nearly as good. All in all, I highly recommend this dish — it's really, really tasty!
Ingredients:
- 1 kg chicken (I used half a whole chicken; can be substituted with leg quarters)
- 300 g green lentils
- 300 g tomatoes (fresh or canned in their own juice)
- 200 g carrots
- 200 g onion
- a bunch of parsley
- spices to taste (I used thyme, basil, and garlic powder)
- salt
- pepper
- vegetable oil for frying
How to cook lentils with chicken
Cut the chicken into serving pieces. If you'd rather not break down a whole bird, you can use chicken thighs or drumsticks instead.
Grate the tomatoes on a coarse grater, then discard the skin left in your hand. This is a quick and handy way to get tomato pulp without the skin.
Pour a little vegetable oil into a large heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onion and carrots and sauté for 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Season with salt, pepper, and spices to taste. I used 1/2 teaspoon each of dried thyme, basil, and garlic powder. If available, you can use these spices fresh; oregano or savory would also work well. Gently stir the top layer to distribute the spices. Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and simmer for about 40–60 minutes (until the lentils reach your desired tenderness).
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