Rummaniyeh (Lentil Stew with Eggplant & Pomegranate)

A hearty dish, Rummaniyeh, lentils stew that combines sweet and sour flavors. With fresh pomegranate, and earthy eggplant this dish is a power house of nutrition. It’s naturally vegan and gluten free friendly. 

Disclaimer: We are at Nutrizonia  a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com . We earn a small percentage, when you click and order these items (same cost, no extra fess needed).  

This dish, Rummaniyeh, lentils stew is very old one from the Arabic cuisine, it combines lentils, eggplant, fresh pomegranate juice, pomegranate molasses, garlic, and olive oil. And I’ll be honest with you, it’s been just few years that I’ve heard of this dish, thanks to social media, and to food bloggers, and chefs that are reviving the Palestinian heritage. You see the dish is from Jaffa in Palestine.  A coastal city. My parents were raised in other cities, where the traditional dishes are completely different. However, it’s by documenting our old stories and recipes, talking about, making it, give it the life it needs.

Rummaniyeh

Is a dish from the local and seasonal produce in Jaffa city, like pomegranate.  The name رمانية means the pomegranate (رمان) in Arabic with extra letter ي which like the suffix -ian, related to, and the ة means this word indicates a female thing (we do have that in Arabic language). I’m not a language expert .The local season is in late August and September. There are few differences in preparing Rummaniyeh. Some add only pomegranate molasses and some adds pomegranate juice and lemon juice too with no molasses at all. I choose one with the pomegranate molasses, the natural sweetness in my opinion elevates the dish, and balance it better.

Rummaniyeh is very easy to put together, you need to boil lentils with eggplant in water until tender, then add pan fried garlic, pomegranate juice and molasses. You can eat it with bread or by a spoon.

Why Rummaniyeh is healthy for you:

• It has eggplant, It’s low in calories, fats, and has good amounts of fibers, and minerals.
• It has lentils, High in protein, and fiber. And have good amounts of minerals like Iron, zinc, and manganese. Also, B Vitmains like Folate. Its a complex carbohydrates, but with medium glycemic index value
• It has pomegranate, that is rich in antioxidants especially lycopene that is very crucial to get rid of free radicals that cause cancer and other diseases.

Pomegranate molasses

I’ve used it here in the blog in few recipes like this… and you can get it from health local store. Here this is the brand, I used yo use when I was living I the united states.

If you made this Rummnaniyeh , I would love to see your creation, please tag me @Nutrizonia on Instagram and Facebook too, and use the hashtag #Nutrizonia

{{ Shop the recipe }} 

Pomegranate molasses 

Yield: 4

Rummaniyeh (Lentil Stew with Eggplant & pomegranate)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Print

Ingredients

• 1 cup of lentils
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into cubes
• 5 Tb pomegranate molasses
• 400 ml water
• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• 3 Tb of wheat flour*, you cam omit if gluten free
• 1 Tb cumin
• 2 Tb olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic peeled and crushed.
• Salt 1/2 tsp
• black pepper 1/2 tsp
• 5 Fresh pomegranate seeds, 10 parsley or cilantro leaves

Instructions

1. In a medium pot, on medium heat, add lentils, eggplant and water. Cover with a tight lid. Let them simmer for 25-30 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
2. Removed the lid and add pomegranate molasses, and juice to the pot.
3. Meanwhile, in a small pan, heat olive oil on a medium heat and add crushed garlic.
4. let the garlic get golden color, about 3-5 minutes then add to the lentils pot.
5. pour in a shallow big plate, or in multiple plates.
6. Garnish the plates with pomegranate seeds, and parsley or any green leaves you like
7. Eat with bread or with a spoon

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 604Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 335mgCarbohydrates: 122gFiber: 23gSugar: 79gProtein: 13g