This is one of those quickies that make a balanced and complete plant based meals with just enough proteins, fats and carbs that make you feel happily satisfied. But above all, it tastes absolutely delicious! Rich, creamy, seductively sweet and savory this thick spread truly resembles of a fine pate taste. Or at least, this is what my non-vegans in the family say as I had forgotten the taste of the traditional pate. All I can say that it’s yummilicious!
This pate originated accidentally though. It so happened I had some leftover cooked red lentils, it had been a long day of cooking and preparing food for a bunch of people and we were all exhausted. And starving. So I did what seemed the most effortless thing at the time, mashed the lentils with a fork together with a spoonful of tahini, a bit of spices that were at hand, a splash of oil and then served it with all the veggies, olives, onions, that didn’t end up on serving plates for the guests. I remember it even looked sort of nice, you know, perfectly imperfect kinda style, with all those happy colours. Anyway, I served it shrugging my shoulders a little for this more than a modest plate, watched the hungry lot eating it in silence. A whole eternity, or good five minutes passed before the ovations came. I felt relieved and flattered, ascribing a portion of the compliments to the fatigue and hunger. But then, later on, I made it again, and again, each time taking a bit here adding a bit there to make one gorgeously satisfying dish out of simple red lentils.
What you’ll need for 6 servings or 1 jar of pate
- 200g red lentils
- 350g of carrots
- 2 tbsp tahini paste
- 1 tsp of turmeric powder
- 1 tsp of smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp of cumin powder
- fresh juice and zest of half a lemon
- salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar glaze
Wash and rinse the lentils then boil in water until soft which will take some 15 minutes. Leave to cool and drain completely.
Peel the carrots and blanch them shortly. If you have baby carrots you can just cover them with boiling water and leave for a few minutes, then rinse in cold water.
Blend all the ingredients into a thick paste and serve with red onions and glazed vegetables.
To make the glazed veggies, first you need them blanch.
Preheat a pan, for best searing and great taste use an iron one. Add a splash of olive oil, a drizzle of honey and balsamic vinegar, a pinch of salt and seasoning to taste and add the veggies. Toss and turn them for a few minutes until nicely caramelized, then serve on top of the pate.
You can store the pate in a glass jar in a fridge, it will last for a couple of days and make a great snack, breakfast or dinner.