Ethiopian cuisine offers a variety of flavorful and nutritious dishes, with yellow lentils playing a starring role. This article explores the nutritional benefits of Ethiopian yellow lentils and how to incorporate them into delicious and healthy meals.
What are Yellow Lentils?
Yellow lentils, also known as split yellow peas, moong dal, or yellow dal, are tiny lentils created by skinning and splitting green mung beans. Split peas belong to the Pisum sativum species, the fresh pea plant family. These fresh peas are dried, husked, and split to form split peas. Apart from the differences in color, both varieties are similar in flavors and cooking time. They cook quickly and have a soft, smooth, buttery texture, making them perfect for the base of soups and curries.
Split peas are commonly used in African cuisine. They are either made as a soup or a stew, similar to Indian dal. One can find varieties of split pea stews in Persian cuisine.
Effectively a North African version of Indian Dal, split red lentils simmered with onion, garlic, ginger, berbere, cumin, turmeric, tomatoes, vegetable stock (serve over rice or on its own)
Nutritional Benefits of Yellow Lentils
Yellow lentils are a fantastic source of essential nutrients, making them a valuable addition to any diet.
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- Protein: Lentils are an excellent plant-based protein source, making them a perfect choice for vegetarians and vegans alike.
- Fiber: Lentils are bursting with dietary fiber, aiding digestion and promoting a healthy gut.
- Heart Health: Regular consumption of lentils has been associated with reduced cholesterol levels and a decreased risk of heart disease.
- Diabetes Management: Regular consumption of germinated lentils is beneficial for preventing and managing diabetes.
Here's a breakdown of the nutritional value per 100g of yellow lentils:
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 116 |
| Protein | 8.9g |
| Carbs | 19.95g |
| Fat | 0.4g |
| Fiber | 7.8g |
| Potassium | 369mg |
Are Yellow Split Peas Good for Weight Loss?
This Ethiopian yellow split peas curry is a great recipe if you're looking for a healthy yet satisfying meal. Not only it's under 400 calories per serving, but it also provides 45% of your recommended intake (RDI) for fibres and 30% RDI for proteins.
Fibres and proteins are the best allies in any weight loss plan, as they take longer to digest and fill you up. By doing so, they prevent spikes in blood sugars and reduce appetite, preventing you from overeating. Also, the fibres in yellow split peas remain undigested, and they feed gut-friendly bacteria.
Easy Ethiopian Cooking: Kik Alicha (Stewed Yellow Lentils)
How to Cook Yellow Split Peas
Cooking lentils is as easy as 1, 2, 3.
If you soak the yellow split peas for 2 hours, it will take roughly 1 1/2 hour to cook them. If instead, you soak them overnight, the cooking time will halve to about 50 minutes.
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To cook the yellow split peas, drain and rinse them after soaking. Then, transfer them into a deep pan and add enough cold water to cover them. Let them simmer with the lid on until they're soft.
Do Yellow Split Peas Need Soaking?
Soaking the yellow split peas, like for other dried legumes and pulses, will shorten their cooking time. Therefore, if you don't have much time at hand, we recommend soaking them before starting the recipe.
To do so, place the split peas in a bowl and pour enough cold water to cover them. Allow soaking at room temperature for a minimum of two hours, even if eight to twelve hours would be ideal. A good trick is to soak them overnight so you'll have softened split peas ready to cook for the next day. During this time, the split peas will absorb water, swell, and soften. Therefore, they will cook much faster.
If you have problems digesting beans and legumes, try adding half a teaspoon of baking soda to the soaking water and rinsing the split peas before cooking them. By doing so, you'll remove the sugars that are hard to digest.
Do Yellow Split Peas Contain Gluten?
Yellow split peas do not contain gluten, like other legumes. Therefore it is safe for celiacs or those with gluten sensitivity to eat beans, lentils, peas, and peanuts[1]. By gluten, we refer to those proteins which are most commonly found in grains like wheat.
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If you are intolerant or sensitive to gluten, your immune system triggers a defence response that results in inflammation, discomfort, and impaired nutrient absorption.
Ethiopian Yellow Lentil Recipes
There are many ways to enjoy yellow lentils in Ethiopian cuisine. Here are a couple of popular dishes:
Kik Alicha (Ethiopian Split Pea Stew)
Kik alicha is a lentil stew made with split peas. Alicha or alich’a (አልጫ) is a mild stew, simmered in a turmeric and ginger-based sauce, and with no addition of berbere, in order to keep it less spicy. The preparation of kik alicha is quite simple.
This Ethiopian yellow split peas curry served with rice and greens is not only a satisfying and hearty dish but also a very nutritious meal. This recipe is inspired to two world-famous Ethiopian dishes, the Kik Alicha and the Wat. The former is a curry prepared with yellow split peas, onions, and turmeric; the latter is a red split lentil stew simmered in a spicy berbere seasoning. We combined these two dishes into a mouthwatering Ethiopian Alicha recipe that is vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free.
Kik Alicha Recipe
Here's a simple recipe to make Kik Alicha:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups yellow split peas, sorted and rinsed
- 1 cup yellow onions, chopped
- 1/3 cup hot water
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp ginger, minced
- ½ tsp Alicha Kimem, optional
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ bunch kale, sliced into 1-inch strips
- 2 tbsp garlic (5-7 cloves), minced
- 4 to 5 spices Injera (Ethopian bread), for serving
Directions:
- Soak split peas in hot water for 15 minutes.
- Sweat onions on low heat in a covered saucepan for 2 minutes. Do not over-stir.
- Add 1/3 cup of hot water, cover, and cook for about 3 minutes. Add water and olive oil, and sauté for 3 minutes longer.
- As the water evaporates, continue to make sure the onions do not dry up or change color. Add ¼ cup hot water, 1 tbsp ginger, and a pinch of the turmeric. The sauce should have a soup like consistency. Keep covered and continue to cook for 4 minutes.
- Add the split peas and mix well into the sauce. Add 2 cups of hot water, cover, and cook. After about 2 minutes, when the split peas are tender, add alicha kimem for additional flavor. Add garlic and the remaining 1 tbsp ginger. Stir the peas, scraping the bottom of the pan to avoid sticking. Add water as needed. Add remaining turmeric, reduce heat to medium. Cover and continue to cook for about 20 minutes, until the peas are tender.
Misir Wot (Spicy Ethiopian Lentils)
Misir Wot’s flavors are actually really similar to Doro Wot (Chicken in a Berbere Sauce with Hard Boiled Eggs), and you won’t miss the lack of meat at all.
Berbere spices give this lentil stew its classic Ethiopian flavors. Making my own allows me to customize it because you know I can’t leave it alone. 😉 And don’t forget super easy Ethiopian spiced ghee.
Misir Wot Recipe
Here's how to make Misir Wot:
Ingredients:
- 2 yellow onions, finely minced
- 2 tbsp garlic (5-7 cloves), minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 to 5 tbsp berbere spice mix (less for mild)
- ½ cup diced or crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup dried red lentils, sorted and rinsed
- 4 cups water
- ½ tsp Ethiopian Cardamom
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp Niter Kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced butter), optional
- 4 to 5 Injera rounds (Ethiopian bread), for serving
Directions
- Heat a large sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onions and sweat without oil and being careful to not over-stir, for about 10 minutes. Cook onions until golden brown, lowering heat if necessary. Stir in garlic and ginger and continue to cook for 2 minutes.
- Add olive oil and berbere, and sauté over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, until the mixture reaches a paste consistency.
- Stir in tomatoes, lentils, and ½ cup water to the onion mixture and bring to a simmer. Over a 15-minute period, add about ½ cup of water every 2 minutes, until all 4 cups of water are absorbed. Lower heat and cover, simmering about 10 minutes longer. Add cardamom and salt.
- Test the lentils for doneness. Continue to cook about 10-20 minutes longer, until lentils are soft, but not overcooked. Remove from heat and serve over injera!
