1/2 cup dried chick peas (garbanzos), soaked overnight in plenty of water with a pinch of baking soda (substitute 2 cups drained canned garbanzos)
a pinch of saffron threads, pulverized
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 stick (1/4 cup) margarine
3/4 cup chopped celery
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
1 cup chopped leaves and stems of fresh coriander (a.k.a.
1 large can (22 oz?) Italian plum (pear-shaped) tomatoes, seeded, drained, and chopped (add some of the drained juice to bring volume up to 2 cups.
2 teaspoon salt (or to taste - use less if you used canned garbanzos)
3/4 cup dried lentils, rinsed (discard any pebbles)
2 quarts water
1/2 lemon (squeezed)
some thin slices of lemon
Melt the margarine in a large pot, then cook the spices, celery, and chopped onions over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the coriander and tomatoes, then cook for another 15 minutes. Add the water, lentils, garbanzos, and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer, partially covered, for about 2 hours (until the garbanzos are cooked). Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice and garnish with reserved coriander sprigs and lemon slices.