Lentil Pies (Fatayar 'Adas)
These terrific pies can be made smaller or larger depending on your preference. They are perfect for a lunch kit, or keep them in the freezer and thaw for when you need a quick meal.
Makes about 16 large pies or 32 small pies
Adapted from Arab Cooking on a Saskatchewan Homestead by Habeeb Salloum
1 ½ pounds frozen dough thawed, or dough for pies (see below)
1 cup lentils
2 cups water
3 medium onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small hot pepper, very finely chopped
5.5 oz can tomato paste
4 tbsp soft butter
4 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
Form the dough in 16 or 32 balls; then cover and let for 90 minutes.
In the meantime, place the lentils and water in a saucepan, add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil; cover and simmer until cooked. If using small lentils, leave whole. If using larger lentils, mash to a coarse paste. Combine with the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Roll each dough into a 5” circle (or 3” if making smaller pies). Place two heaping tbsp of the mixture (or 1 heaping tbsp if making smaller pies) into the centre of each circle. Pinch together two sides of the dough. Then bring up the third side and pinch together to create a triangle (make sure that the filling does not come between the two pieces of dough). Leave a small opening over the filling to allow steam to escape during cooking (if you seal the pie completely, they are likely to split during cooking as the steam will find the weakest point in the dough and break through). Continue until all balls are finished. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. Brown under the broiler, if desired.
Remove and serve warm or cold with a yogurt sauce of your choice.
Dough for Pies
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp dry yeast
¼ cup lukewarm water
3 cups flour (more may be needed)
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
¼ cup warm milk
4 tbsp butter, melted
Dissolve sugar and yeast in the warm water, and allow to stand 10 minutes.
In the meantime, combine the flour, salt and ginger in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the yeast, milk and butter. Knead the dough. Dough should not be sticky. Shape in a ball, brush with oil and let rest, covered, until doubled in the size. Proceed with the recipe above.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.