Beats meat - lentil recipe (ask the South African men)

Ingredients 2.25 c (1 lb) French du Puy or brown lentils 1 medium red onion, finely diced and soaked in water for at least 5 minutes 1 c dried currants (or other dried fruit--I used chopped dates) 1/3 c capers, chopped if large 1/3 c extra virgin olive oil 1/4 c apple cider vinegar 1 TB maple syrup 1 TB strong mustard 2 tsp salt 1 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp cayenne (or less), 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon Instructions 1. Rinse lentils well and drain. Place in a pot and cover with a 3-4 inches of water, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Check lentils for doneness after 15 minutes, but they should take about 20-25 minutes in total. You will know they are cooked if they still retain a slight tooth – al dente! Overcooking the lentilsis the death of this dish. Be careful! 2. While the lentils are simmering, make the dressing by placing all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake vigorously to combine. 3. Finely dice red onion – the salad is best if all the ingredients are about the same size. If using raisins, chop them roughly to make them a bit smaller, and do the same with the capers if they are large. 4. When the lentils are cooked, remove from heat, drain and place under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Once cooled slightly but still a little warm, place lentils in a large serving bowl and toss with dressing. Add drained onion, capers, and currants. Chill until serving, marinading at least overnight for the flavours to meld. Serves 8