ReceptnaptárCreamy lentil stew
Lencsefőzelék, the thick Hungarian lentil dish, is a mainstay of the winter kitchen and a permanent fixture of New Year's lunches, because tradition holds that the many tiny lentils stand for money and good luck. It is cheap, nourishing and rich in protein even without meat. Serve it with fried sausage, frankfurters or a fried egg, and let a little vinegar round off the flavour.
Open in Receptnaptár — serving calculator, cook mode, save
Ingredients
Method
Tap a step once you've finished it.
- Sort through the lentils, rinse, place in a saucepan, and cover well with cold water.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, topping up with cold water as needed to keep them covered - they'll take about 30-40 minutes to soften.
- Only salt them once they've softened.
- In another saucepan, make a thick, deep reddish-brown roux with the lard, about 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the chopped onion and fry briefly, 1-2 minutes, until it browns slightly too.
- Thin with a ladleful of cold water, stir until smooth, then add to the lentils.
- Bring to a boil, sour to taste with a little vinegar (optional), then keep warm.
- Stir in sour cream before serving. Note: dried bean stew is made the same way, just with the beans soaked beforehand and a slightly longer cooking time.
Based on: Malatinszky Fanny szakácskönyve (a classic Hungarian cookbook), modernised. Calories and protein are estimated.
Tips
- By tradition, lentils are salted only after they have softened, which ensures that the skins do not stay tough and also lets you judge the salt more accurately.
- A bay leaf in the cooking water adds a lot of flavour, and a little mustard or vinegar at the end really rounds it out.
- Brown lentils hold their shape best. Red lentils cook down to a pulp, so they do not really suit this recipe.
Frequently asked questions
Do the lentils need soaking first?
It is not essential, but soaking for an hour or two shortens the cooking time. Lentils soften much faster than beans, so they are usually done in 30-40 minutes even without soaking.
What is the traditional topping?
Fried sausage, frankfurters, smoked meat or a fried egg. At New Year it is mostly served with boiled smoked meat or fried sausage, and a bowl of pickles goes well with it too.
Similar recipes
- Lentil stew with frankfurters · Hungarian
- Lentil stew with eggs and pickles · Hungarian
- Creamy potato stew · Hungarian
- Lentil Purée in Puff Pastry · Hungarian
- Ayerbe Lentils with Pork (Lentejas ayerbenses) · Spanish & Portuguese
- Fakes (Greek lentil soup) · Greek
More hungarian ideas
- Creamy savoy cabbage stew with bacon
- Podlupka (creamy young cabbage-leaf stew)
- Creamy sugar beet stew
- Mixed vegetable stew trio
- Creamy green bean stew
- Creamy lettuce stew
- Creamy spinach stew with fried bread
- Creamy potato stew with frankfurters (krumplifőzelék)
How to use it · Privacy (in Hungarian) · Legal notice (in Hungarian) · Editorial principles (in Hungarian) · Cookie settings