Red Lentils with Paprika and Ajwain

Name: Red Lentils with Paprika and Ajwain
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons of niter kibbeh, ghee, butter, or oil, divided; 2 medium-large onions, roughly chopped; 1 3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped; 6 cloves of garlic, peeled; 1 teaspoon of ajwain; 2 tablespoons of sweet Hungarian paprika, divided; 2 tablespoons of hot or semi-sweet paprika, divided; 1 pound (2 cups) of red lentils

"Learn more about ajwain seed here » Both Indian and Ethiopian cooks use ajwain when making lentils; this recipe is something of a hodgepodge of those two traditions. Ajwain's thymol content provides an aromatic lift while its other flavors create a distinctive curry-like background. When combined with rich, full-bodied paprika, it elevates the humble lentil to a warm, earthy, and complex bowl of comfort food. You can alter the proportion of sweet to hot paprika according to your tastes and heat tolerance, but all sweet paprika may be too bland. The amount of paprika may also seem pretty high, but lentils can take plenty of spice, and it is the main flavor- and color-component of this recipe. If you don't have any niter kibbeh lying around, a few dashes of garam masala, or dare I say it—curry powder—will do in a pinch...."

INGREDIENTS

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6 tablespoons of niter kibbeh, ghee, butter, or oil, divided

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2 medium-large onions, roughly chopped

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1 3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

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6 cloves of garlic, peeled

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1 teaspoon of ajwain

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2 tablespoons of sweet Hungarian paprika, divided

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2 tablespoons of hot or semi-sweet paprika, divided

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1 pound (2 cups) of red lentils

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