This gluten-free dip can be made vegan by swapping out the butter for oil. It’s full of protein from the red lentils and makes a great spread on sandwiches too.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup diced white or yellow onion
- 3 fat cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 5 small carrots, peeled (approximately ½ pound)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon finely minced chipotle in adobo sauce
- Salt, to taste
- ¼ cup red lentils, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes
- Lemon juice, to taste
- ½ tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
Instructions
Heat butter in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat.
Add chopped onion and garlic and sauté till onions turn pale gold.
Chop carrots into ¼-inch thick coins and add to the onions. Stir occasionally and cook on medium-high heat till the carrots take on browned spots of color. Add a healthy pinch of salt, the ground cumin and minced chipotle.
Drain red lentils and add to the carrots. Pour in about ½ cup of fresh water, cover the pot and cook till lentils are done, about 15 minutes.
Check carrots. They should be soft and yielding when pressed with a spoon. If it needs more time and the pot seems dry, add a couple splashes of water, cover and continue to cook till done.
Let the mixture cool a little before transferring to a blender. Carefully blend on high speed till the mixture is smooth.
Transfer to a bowl and check for seasoning. You may need to add more salt and squeeze in some lemon juice. The dip should taste bright and earthy with a bit of heat.
For the garnish, heat the butter in a small skillet over a medium-low heat.
When the butter foams, add the rest of the ingredients along with a pinch of salt.
Cook, stirring constantly, till the mixture is fragrant and you hear the pumpkin seeds start to pop.
Spoon this mixture over the carrot dip and serve immediately.
