Oriental stew with red lentils and pearl barley

Ingredients for 5 servings:

• 100 g pearl barley, medium
• 250 g lentils, red
• 2 m.-sized onion(s)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 ½ liters vegetable broth
• ½ tsp anise seeds
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp paprika powder, hot
• salt and pepper
• 1 lemon(s)
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 large beefsteak tomatoes

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 10 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 10 minutes

vegetarian, vegan, inexpensive and filling

Crush the aniseed in a mortar and pestle, peel the tomatoes if desired, and dice them. Place the pearl barley in a sieve, rinse, and drain well. Dice the onions and sauté them in hot oil. Press in 2-3 garlic cloves and sauté briefly. Stir in the pearl barley, pour in the stock, and season with anise, cumin, and paprika. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Rinse the red lentils, stir them in, and simmer for about 15 minutes longer, until the pearl barley and lentils are tender. Season the stew with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the diced tomatoes and season to taste with a little lemon juice. Let stand a little longer before serving and adjust the seasoning if desired.