Traditional Greek ingredients for a modern but delicious dip !!
Traditional Greek ingredients for a modern but delicious Dip !!
It is very common for people, to have tasty dips and appetizers with breadstick, on the table, for their gatherings. Especially in Greece, food means much more than a simple satisfaction of the hunger. It means communication, building bonds, joy in general. That's why Greeks spend so much time in preparations and cook so many different dishes.
Our today's proposal combines traditional ingredients in a modern but delicious edition : Lentil Dip with Tahini and Olive Oil. All the ingredients have high place in the Mediterranean Diet, because of their high nutritional value:
- Lentils are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber and provide good to excellent amounts of seven important minerals, our B-vitamins, iron and protein—all with virtually no fat.
- Tahini is rich in protein, fiber and good fats
- Olive Oil is a very good source of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, as is well known.
You can have your dip with koulouri Thessalonikis, a bread shaped like a ring covered with sesame seeds but you can enjoy it with pita bread, breadsticks or plain.
Vegetarians will love it !!!
Lentil Dip with Tahini and Olive Oil :
Ingredients
- 1 cup lentils (uncooked)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tomato chopped
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Boil the lentils for about 20 minutes with a bay leaf.
- Strain and remove the bay leaf
- In a pan sauté the garlic with cumin for a minute.
- Add the tomatoes, tahini, cilantro, lemon juice, water and salt and pepper and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the lentils, mix gently.
- Serve in a bowl or dish drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
