Rishta bil Adas — Print Recipe

Hand-cut noodles simmered with brown lentils in a warming turmeric-tinged broth. This rustic Libyan comfort dish is hearty, wholesome, and deeply satisfying.

Ingredients

2 cups flour
Water for dough
1 cup brown lentils
1 onion, diced
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
Salt
4 cups water
1 dried lime (optional)

Instructions

1 Make a firm dough with flour, water, and salt. Knead well, rest 15 minutes, then roll thin and cut into short noodle strips.
2 Cook lentils in 4 cups of water for 15 minutes until half-tender.
3 In another pot, saute onion in olive oil until golden. Add tomato paste, turmeric, and cumin, stirring for 2 minutes.
4 Add the lentils with their cooking water to the onion mixture. Bring to a simmer.
5 Drop in the fresh noodle strips, stir gently, and cook 12-15 minutes until both noodles and lentils are tender.
6 Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot in deep bowls with a drizzle of olive oil.

Did You Know?

Libyan grandmothers can tell the noodles are done by the sound of the bubbling pot changing pitch as the broth thickens.