Nazid adashim — red lentil pottage
A thick purée of brown lentils flavored with cumin and onion, bound with olive oil and sprinkled with coriander. It is sopped up with still-warm barley bread, without a spoon.
A thick purée of brown lentils flavored with cumin and onion, bound with olive oil and sprinkled with coriander. It is sopped up with still-warm barley bread, without a spoon.
Approach, stranger, and do not be ashamed to sit by my fire. This pot of lentils, my mother used to make it in Zorah before the Spirit of the Lord seized me: you throw the seeds into the water at dawn, you wait until they melt, and you pour the oil with a wide gesture. Break the bread, dip it deep — that is where strength hides. A man fed thus can walk all day toward Gaza and fear no one.
- •Brown lentils — two handfuls per person (nourishing base)
- •Onion — one, minced (aromatic base)
- •Olive oil — a good drizzle (binding and richness)
- •Cumin and coriander — a pinch of each (flavor)
- •Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Nazid adashim — red lentil pottage
A thick purée of brown lentils flavored with cumin and onion, bound with olive oil and sprinkled with coriander. It is sopped up with still-warm barley bread, without a spoon.
Why this dish? The lentil nazid is the everyday dish of the houses of Israel, the one that simmers in the hearth of Zorah where Samson grew up. Hearty and cheap, it is what people eat between harvests, when meat is reserved for feasts.
Approach, stranger, and do not be ashamed to sit by my fire. This pot of lentils, my mother used to make it in Zorah before the Spirit of the Lord seized me: you throw the seeds into the water at dawn, you wait until they melt, and you pour the oil with a wide gesture. Break the bread, dip it deep — that is where strength hides. A man fed thus can walk all day toward Gaza and fear no one.
Ingredients (period version)
- Brown lentils — two handfuls per person (nourishing base)
- Onion — one, minced (aromatic base)
- Olive oil — a good drizzle (binding and richness)
- Cumin and coriander — a pinch of each (flavor)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Brown or green lentils — 250 g (base)
- Onion — 1 large (base)
- Olive oil — 4 tbsp (binding)
- Ground cumin — 1 tsp (flavor)
- Fresh or ground coriander — 1 tsp (finish)
- Water — 750 ml (cooking)
- Salt — 1 tsp (seasoning)
Method
- Sauté the onion in half the oil until translucent and golden.
- Add the rinsed lentils, cumin, and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30–40 minutes on low heat.
- When the lentils mash easily, season with salt and coarsely crush with a spoon to a thick purée.
- Drizzle the remaining olive oil, sprinkle with coriander, and serve piping hot with flatbread.
How it was made : The nazid adashim is the pottage that Jacob traded for Esau's birthright in Genesis — proof that it was already central centuries before Samson. Lentils were cooked in clay pots set on embers, without tomato or chili (unknown until the 16th century), simply seasoned with onion, cumin, and oil.
The contemporary twist : A squeeze of lemon juice and a few mint leaves at serving revive the dish without betraying it.
Samson · Charactorium
