Name: Hungarian-Style Paprika Lentil Stew
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 5 servings
Cuisine: Hungarian
Ingredients: 300 g whole red lentils; 2 large onions, finely chopped; 3 tablespoons sweet paprika; 1 teaspoon caraway seeds; 4 tablespoons cold-pressed sesame oil; 2 bell peppers, chopped; 2 tomatoes, chopped; 1 litre water or stock; to taste salt and black pepper

Before you cook

Paprika scorches in seconds in hot oil and turns bitter the moment it does. Always add it off the heat, stir it in, then return to a gentle flame.

Use plenty of paprika and use it fresh. A stale tin loses its colour and sweetness and no amount extra will fix that.

Method

Warm the oil and cook the onions slowly until deeply soft, about fifteen minutes.
Take the pan off the heat completely before the paprika goes in.
Stir the paprika and caraway into the off-heat onions to bloom gently.
Return to low heat and cook for thirty seconds, no more.
Add the peppers and tomatoes and cook for five minutes to soften.
Rinse the lentils and add them with the water or stock.
Bring to the boil, then simmer covered for twenty-five minutes.
Stir occasionally, checking the lentils have softened and collapsed.
Add more hot water if the stew thickens past what you want.
Season generously with salt and pepper and rest before serving.

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