Mercimek and Naan

I know, I know, I have had 2 non-meat/lentil Dishes this week. It is just the way the cookie crumbled this week, but I swear my next few will have some meat! Now, the Mercimek (pronounced Merijameck) is a Turkish soup. We went to Turkey in 2007  to visit my sister who was living there at the time. While we were there, one of my sisters friends taught me how to make this. She didn't measure anything, (nor have I until now) she just talked me through it and I watched. It isn't hard to make but it is super tasty and extremely filling! And btw this makes a TON of soup! It thickens when it cools, so you will have to add more water to left overs. You could feed a small army with this...or...you could freeze half and save it for another day. :)

Mercimek

Ingredients
3 C Red Lentils
3 Tbs Olive Oil
3 Tbs Cumin
4 Tbs Paprika
4 Cloves Crushed Garlic
4 Tbs Tomato Paste
10 C Hot Water
1 1/2 Tbs Salt

Directions

Put 2Tbs olive oil and 3c lentils in a LARGE pot. Stir them all around until lentils seem to be coated with oil. Over Md heat toast the lentils. Some will start to get light in color but be careful not to burn them. Once they are somewhat changing color, add 6c of hot water. Bring to a boil. While the lentils boil, in a small skillet heat 1Tbs olive oil, tomato paste, garlic, paprika and cumin. Stir it together and heat over md/high heat until it all cooks together. It only take a minute or two. The lentils will start to turn yellowish and absorb the water. Once this happens, add the tomato paste mixture to the pot, add the salt and puree with an immersion blender. (hand blender) Once it is partially blended add 4 c of hot water one at a time until everything is well blended and smooth.

Naan

Ingredients
1 Tbs Yeast
1 C Warm Water (110-120 degrees)
1/4 C Raw Honey
3 Tbs Milk
1 Beaten Egg
2 Tsp Salt
4 1/2 C Flour
Olive Oil (to grease dough and pan)

Directions


In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in honey, milk, egg, salt, and flour. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume. To lessen the rise time, I heat my oven to 170 while I am making the dough and then turn it off. It makes the oven warm and then I put it in the warm oven to rise. Punch down dough and pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a greased tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat or you could use a large skillet on the stove. Roll  balls of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill, (if you use the skillet do not oil!)  Cook until puffy and slightly bubbly, then flip until 2nd side is lightly browned.
Serve together. Bread is amazing dunked in the soup!