If this was the recipe, it is no surprise that Esau was willing to trade his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew. Lentils are one of the only beans you do not have to soak before cooking, so this recipe yields a quick, nutritious, low-fat and vegetarian meal. It should be cooked over a slow fire, the trademark of Balkan cooking.
1 lb. lentils
2 quarts water
1 Tbsp. salt
2-4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1-2 carrots, cut into thin circles
1 Tbsp. Greek oregano or chubritsa (see sidebar)
1 14.5-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. paprika
Thoroughly wash lentils and put in large pot with water, salt and vegetable oil. Bring to a boil and then turn heat down to simmer. After about 10 minutes, add the onion and carrots. Continue to simmer, uncovered, until almost done; add chubritsa and simmer for five more minutes. Turn off the heat and add garlic, the tomatoes chopped into small pieces (not the juice), and paprika. The longer it sets before eating, the better the flavors will permeate. Bulgarians serve this with bread, but it is great over rice.
Note: I especially like French lentils, which might be hard to find. Of course, any lentils will do.
There is no herb more beloved in Bulgaria than chubritsa, Satureia hortensis, a plant in the mint family which has a strong smell and is used to spice many Bulgarian foods. Almost every country garden grows it and at the end of summer, it is dried and kept for use until the next crop is ready. Chubritsa is used to spice all sorts of Bulgarian foods and a powdered form is sprinkled on bread in place of butter. It is delicious.
Because it does not grow well on American soil, many Bulgarians who live in the United States bring some back with them when they travel to their homeland. If you have a Bulgarian community in your area, ask someone for as much as they will part with from their private stash.
Recipes that call for chubritsa are Bulgarian stuffed peppers, mousaka, yakniya, and sarmi, the Bulgarian version of stuffed grape leaves. A good substitute, while not perfect, is Greek oregano.
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