Arroz con menestra de lentejas is a traditional Ecuadorian lentil stew simmered with onion, pepper, tomato, garlic, cumin, and cilantro. Menestra is usually served with rice and thin grilled steaks or carne asada.
Course Main dish, Side Dish
Cuisine Ecuadorian, Latin
Keyword Ecuadorian menestra, Lentil stew, Menestra de lentejas
For an extra boost of flavor, prepare a quick refrito or sofrito by sauteeing about 1/2 onion with a few cloves of crushed garlic, a couple of diced tomatoes, and ground cumin/achiote powder/salt to taste until the ingredients are softened and you have a flavorful sauce. Stir in the sauce to the main menestra when the lentils are done cooking.
To add a green plantain, peel a green plantain and grate it using a fine grater, stir the grated plantain into the menestra during the last ~15-20 minutes of cooking, mix it well so that it integrates into the stew - you will notice how it thickens the dish and adds a slight plantain flavor.
To add a sweet plantain, peel and cut a plantain into 1/2 to 1 inch slices and add them to the menestra during the last 20-25 minutes of cooking, they should be fully cooked by the time the dish is ready.