1 lb/½ kg dried faba beans
1 tsp. salt
2 oz/50 g butter
8 tbsp. dill weed, fresh or
4 tbsp. dill weed, dried
6 eggs
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. baking soda
1 large onion, sliced or
4 spring onions, chopped

Soak the faba beans in water overnight. Add a little salt, cover and simmer gently until tender. Cool with cold water. Liquidize with a little of the cooking liquor, pass through a food mill or mash with a potato masher.
Sauté the onion in 2 tbsp. of butter. Add the dill weed (if available). Beat the eggs well. Add the salt, pepper, baking soda, onion and mashed beans.
Mix well. Melt the remaining butter in a baking dish. Pour in the egg mixture and bake at 350°F for ¾-1 hour, until the bottom and edges are crisp and the top is golden brown. Invert to serve.

Variation: A similar dish ''Eggah bi Ful Akhdar'' is made in other countries of the Middle East but ¾ lb/300 g of fresh or frozen faba beans replace the dried ones (and therefore do not need to be soaked). Omit the onion and baking soda. The beans are added whole to the beaten eggs (having been previously boiled in salted water until just tender). It can be cooked in a frying pan or in the oven. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve cut in wedges like a cake.

Serves 6

½ lb lentils (soaked overnight if necessary)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and coarsely diced
½ lb courgettes or marrow, sliced or cubed
½ lb leeks, trimmed and sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
salt and black pepper
oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
juice of 2 lemons

Drain lentils (if soaked) and simmer in a large pan with 1 pint/600 ml water for about 1¼ hours. Add the potatoes, courgettes, leeks and celery, season to taste with salt and pepper and continue cooking for 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until vegetables are cooked, adding more water if necessary (only a little should be left at the end of cooking). Fry onion in oil until soft and golden.
Add garlic and fry for a minute or two longer until colored. Drain and add to the lentils and vegetables, together with the parsley and lemon juice. Simmer for a few minutes longer, adjust seasoning and serve hot or cold.

Variation: A simple version can be made without the courgettes, leeks, celery and lemon juice. The quantity of potatoes should be increased to 3 cups and ¼ tsp. dried sage added.

This dish is known elsewhere in the Middle East as lentil kufta. The proportion of lentils to burghul is a matter of personal taste.

2 oz/50 g lentils
1 pint/600 ml water
salt
4 oz/100 g burghul (cracked wheat)
1 oz/25 g butter
1 large onion
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
a few sprigs of parsley, chopped

Wash and rinse the lentils. Boil them in water and a little salt until they are soft. Add the burghul and soak for 1 hour. The water should be completely absorbed, forming a moist dough. Meanwhile , fry the finely sliced onion in butter until transparent, stir in paprika, cumin and finely chopped parsley. Mix the lentil dough in a bowl with the onion and spices; knead for 2-3 minutes. Form into little cakes about 2'' in diameter and arrange on a dish.
Serve with hot peppers or salad.

A dish prepared in medieval Persia to heal the sick. It was said that the money for the ingredients had to be begged in the streets if the cure was to be effective.

½ lb/200 g large brown lentils
1 lb/400 g fresh or ½ lb/200 g frozen leaf spinach
½ tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. ground cumin
1 garlic clove, crushed
salt and black pepper
1-2 tbsp. butter

Boil lentils until tender. Wash spinach (or defrost if frozen), chop finely and stew gently in its own juices until tender. Drain the cooked lentils and add them to the spinach. Season with coriander, cumin and garlic, add salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. Add butter, let it melt, and serve. Good with rice.

Serves 4

2 ladles lentils
½ ladle fresh red shallots
1 tbsp. dried red shallots
¼ ladle red pepper
1 ladle oil
salt
2 tsp. garlic

1 ladle= 10 tbsp. = ¾ cup

Cook the lentils in boiling water until tender. Chop the red shallots finely. Cook the shallots in a clay pot, stirring well. Add the dried and ground red shallots and cook until the mixture turns brown. Add a little water and the red pepper. Cook, stirring well. Add a little more water and the oil. Add the cooked mashed lentils and stir, making sure that the mixture does not stick to the pan. Add the salt with a little more water. Add the finely chopped garlic. Add water as necessary and cook well. Serve cold.

Serves 4-6

1 teacup red lentils
2 tbsp. lentil flour
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1½ tsp. garam-masala
1 tbsp. coriander seeds
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. chilli powder (optional)
small haricot bean-sized lump of asafoetida (optional)

Sort and wash lentils and soak overnight. Drain and crush them in a mortar. Put in mixing bowl, add lentil flour (made by grinding lentils in a coffee mill) and the other ingredients. (Crush the asafoetida before mixing.) Knead the mixture for a few minutes, then leave in a warm place for 2-4 hours. Knead again, shape into cakes and place on a well-greased plate. Dry in the sun or in a hot cupboard. Store in a well-covered tin.

Variation: Can be curried with potato, or with various vegetable curries but they should first be fried with onions and then cooked in ½ teacup of water before adding the other vegetables.

1 teacup red lentils
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. garam-masala
1 tsp. caraway seeds
½ tsp. chilli powder (optional)
oil or fat for frying

Makes 18-20 cakes

Wash and sort the lentils, soak overnight. Drain the lentils and crush in a mortar, then mix with the other ingredients, beat together. Heat the oil or fat to smoking point. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the fat, frying 5 or 6 at a time over medium heat.

Serve hot or cold. Can also be curried.

1 teacup red lentils
1½ teacup warm water
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. garam-masala
1 tsp. caraway seeds
½ tsp. chilli powder (optional)
oil or fat for frying

Curry:
1 tbsp. butter or ghee
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper or some freshly chopped coriander
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garam-masala
½ tsp. chilli powder
4 large tomatoes, sliced
1 teacup hot water
½ teacup yoghurt or 1 tbsp. lemon juice

Sort and clean the lentils, grind in a coffee mill, then sieve. (Yields about ¾ cup; use the remainder for soup). Gradually add the warm water to make a thick batter. Beat with a spoon for several minutes, then add salt, garam-masala and the caraway seeds. Let stand for 1 hour, then beat thoroughly again. Heat the oil or fat in a deep pan over medium heat; when smoking hot, drop in small portions of the lentil mixture. Fry 4 or 5 at a time. When golden brown, drain. Serve hot, cold or curried.
Curry: Fry the onion and green pepper in the butter or ghee in a heavy saucepan; add turmeric, salt, garam-masala and chilli powder, mix well, then add the tomatoes. Simmer for a few minutes, add the mongorhis. Stir well, heat gently. Add hot water and the yoghurt, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

4 oz/½ cup/45 g lentils
2 tbsp. salt
½ tsp. turmeric
5 cups/2 pints/1 liter water
2 tsp. crushed jaggery (or sugar)
1 tbsp. tamarind pulp
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp. mustard seeds
3-4 green chillies, chopped
a pinch asafoetida
3 tbsp. ghee or oil
2½ tbsp. grated coconut (fresh, if possible)
1 tsp. coriander leaves (optional)
8 oz/225 g whole black lentils

Wash lentils, add salt and turmeric and cook in fast boiling water until the lentils are very tender. Add jaggery and tamarind juice.
Fry the garlic, mustard seeds, green chillies and asafoetida in ghee or oil until the mustard seeds splutter. Add the grated coconut and the lentils. Simmer five minutes until the ingredients are well-blended. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serves 4

1½-2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. red chilli powder (optional)
8 fl oz/1 cup/225 ml yoghurt, well mixed
2 tbsp. ghee or oil
1 onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
½ tsp. turmeric

Garnish:
a pinch of mace
¼ tsp. cinnamon
c tsp. ground cloves

Clean and wash the lentils. Soak in cold water for 4-5 hours. Drain, reserving the water. Measure it and make up to 7 cups/1.6 liter with hot water. Add salt and red chilli powder (if used) and bring to the boil. Add the lentils and cook until almost done. Add the yoghurt, simmer for 5 minutes or until well blended, remove from heat. Heat the oil and add the chopped onion, cook until golden. Add bay leaves, turmeric and the yoghurt and lentil mixture. Simmer until tender and creamy and oil floats on the top. Sprinkle with ground spices, remove from heat.

Serves 4.

4 oz/115 g lentils
2½ pints/6 cups/1.4 liter boiling water
1½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. turmeric
2-3 tbsp. thick tamarind juice
1 tbsp. ghee or butter
a pinch asafoetida
½ tsp. cumin seeds
2 red chillies, seeds removed and broken in half
1 tbsp. coriander leaves

Wash lentils, add salt, turmeric and cook in boiling water until tender (adding more water, if required). Add tamarind juice, mix well and set aside. Heat ghee or butter, fry asafoetida, red chillies, and cumin seeds until the seeds splutter. Put the lentil mixture into a serving dish, pour over the seasoned ghee and garnish  with coriander leaves.

Serves 3

Dhal is considered very easy to digest. It is often given (without the onion mixture and chilli powder) to very young children, invalids and convalescents.

1 teacup red lentils
2½ teacups water
1½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. chilli powder (optional)
½ tbsp. butter or ghee
1 medium onion
2 tbsp. chopped coriander or parsley
1 tsp. garam-masala

Sort and wash lentils, soak for about half an hour. Boil the water and add the drained lentils, salt, turmeric and the chilli powder. Bring to the boil, then cover the saucepan and cook over a low heat until the lentils are tender but firm (about 15 minutes).
Fry the onion in the butter fat, add the coriander and garam-masala. Garnish the lentils with this mixture.

Serves 4

1 teacup red lentils
1½-2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. caraway seeds
oil or fat for frying
2 pints/1.2 liter fresh thick yoghurt
1 tsp. garam-masala
1 tsp. chilli powder
½ tbsp. chopped mint or onion
paprika

Wash and soak the lentils overnight. Drain well, then crush with a pestle and mortar. Mix the crushed lentils with 1 tsp. of salt and ½ tsp. caraway seeds. Heat the oil or fat to nearly smoking point over a medium heat, take a little of the mixture, flatten it slightly and fry 3 or 4 rissoles at a time, until they are light brown, turn once. Rinse in cold water to soften.
Whisk the yoghurt and put in a dish, add the remainder of the salt, garam-masala, caraway seeds, chilli powder and the chopped mint. Squeeze and flatten the risssoles and put them in the curd mixture. Serve after 15 minutes. Sprinkle with paprika.

6 medium-sized sweet and sour suckingmangoes
8 oz/1 cup/230 g lentils
salt
1 tsp. turmeric
3 pints/7½ cups/1¾ liter boiling water
2 tbsp. oil or ghee
6 red chillies, seeds removed and chopped (optional)
1 tsp. mustard seeds
a large pinch fenugreek seeds, pounded lightly
½ tsp. nigella seeds (optional)
1 tsp. cumin seeds
salt

Squeeze the juice from the mangoes, discard the skins and keep the stones. Wash and clean the lentils. Add salt and turmeric to the lentils and cook in boiling water until tender. Add the stones and juice of the mangoes and simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile fry the red chillies, mustard, fenugreek, nigella and cumin seeds in the oil or ghee until the seeds splutter. Combine with the lentils mix well and simmer for a couple of minutes. Serve hot with boiled rice.

Serves 4

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