A Muzawwara Dish: lentil stew

Original source

Adapted from the C13 Andalusian Cookbook.

A Muzawwara Dish

Take boiled peeled lentils and wash in hot water several times; put in the pot and add water without covering them; cook and then throw in pieces of gourd, or the stems [ribs] of Swiss chard, or of the flesh of cucumber or melon, and vinegar, coriander seed, a little cumin, Chinese cinnamon, saffron and two uqiyas of fresh oil; balance with a little salt and cook. Taste, and if its flavor is pleasingly balanced between sweet and sour, [good;] and if not, reinforce until it is equalized, according to taste, and leave it to lose its heat until it is cold and then serve.

My version, for Twelfth Night 2005

Based on quantities/proportions for "standard" lentil soup, and what I had left in the cupboard

2 500g bags of red lentils
6 pints of water
2 butternut squashes, total 1.2 kg
6 fl oz mixed cider vinegar and white wine vinegar
4 fl oz olive oil
2 fl oz walnut oil
2 tspn ground coriander
2 tspn cumin
4 tspn cinnamon
salt
saffron (quite a lot)

Peel, core, chop squashes.
Boil lentils in water until they go mushy.
Add the rest of the ingredients, cook for 20 min (or until squash is done)
You may need to add more water, or adjust flavour balance.